United Way event recognizes donors

United Way’s Community Caring Celebration was held Wednesday night to recognize donors and employers who ran outstanding fundraising campaigns to benefit kids and families in Snohomish County.

The organization also announced that Buzz Rodland, owner and president of Rodland Toyota-Scion, will serve as United Way’s 2008 campaign chairman.

Twenty-five new businesses joined the annual United Way fund drive this year, 1,529 people gave donations of $500 to $10,000, and 36 people gave $10,000 or more.

Although donors to United Way of Snohomish County may direct their giving to any eligible nonprofit, United Way has begun emphasizing the portion of their donation given to its Local Community Fund, which supports a wide variety of health and human services in Snohomish County.

“I said when we started that this is a community that steps up when there’s a need,” said John Dickson, 2007 campaign chair and chief executive of Frontier Bank. “It’s my great privilege to say thank you to all those who stepped up in tremendous ways to help the thousands of people they touch everyday when they give to United Way’s Local Community Fund.”

With 18 companies running fund drives this spring, neither the final campaign total nor the total for the Local Community Fund will be known until May.

Currently, the Local Community Fund supports $3.3 million in annual grants to 93 local nonprofit programs and initiatives in early learning, financial stability, the Volunteer Center and 211, the county’s social service hotline.

Rodland Toyota-Scion and Community Health Center of Snohomish County were recognized by Carl Zapora, United Way’s president and chief executive, with the President’s Award. This award honors the two most outstanding campaigns by a for-profit and nonprofit organization.

Rodland Toyota-Scion raised $67,000, a 33 percent increase over last year. Of the money raised this year, more than $56,000 is to be directed to the Local Community Fund. The Community Health Center employees increased their giving by 24 percent with 76 percent of donations given to the Local Community Fund.

Winners of the Chair Award for leadership by top management were Joyce Eleanor, executive director of Community Transit, and Kay Fantin of Nordstrom-Alderwood.

Winners of the Employee Campaign Manager of the Year Award, recognizing team leaders who do the “hands-on” work of running campaigns in their organizations, were Cecilia Johnson and Judy Austin of Cascade Bank and Mayre Ren of Housing Hope.

A special You Rock! Award was given this year to the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound. This award recognizes both the single largest gift to United Way of Snohomish County’s campaign — $2.1 million this year — as well as the organization’s milestone of surpassing $500,000,000 in giving to Puget Sound nonprofits since its inception in 1951.

Here’s a list of other award winners:

Tocqueville Award: Matt Reinhard, AMT-A Division of Special Operations

Labor Partnership Award: Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1576 and IAM District Lodge 160

Community Impact Partner Award: Fluke Corp. and disAbility Resource Connection

Innovation Award: City of Monroe

Best New Campaign: MDS Pharma Services and Henkels &McCoy, Inc.

Sustaining Supporter Award: The Boeing Co.

Best of Industry winners:

Auto Dealers: Rodland Toyota-Scion

Aerospace: AMT-A Division of Senior Operations and Royell Manufacturing

Building Industry: Perteet, Inc.

Communications: AT&T Mobility