Mayor Plusquellic Speaks at Knight Breakfast
 As United Way of Summit County celebrates its
90th Anniversary, the
organization continues to 'ramp up' its annual events. That trend
continued this week, as Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic was the guest
speaker at the Knight Breakfast before a capacity crowd at the Four
Points Sheraton Hotel.
The Mayor focused his remarks on the collaborative attitude so
prevalent in our community. He mentioned the role so many
non-profits played in Akron's recent 'All America City' recognition.
United Way of Summit County President Bob Kulinski was among the
community leaders who traveled to Tampa, Florida to support the
City's application.
Very much in line with United Way's focus on education, Mayor Plusquellic urged all in the room to work toward making college both
a priority and available to ALL our young people. And conscious of
the Knight Breakfast's role as the 'unofficial' start of the fall
fundraising campaign, the Mayor ended his speech with the simple
request: 'GIVE.'
Thanks to all who attended and made the event such a success.
|
|
IN THIS
ISSUE
Knight
Breakfast
Roadway's United Way Linebacker Delivers
Theresa Carter Throws Strike for United Way
OMNOVA
Solutions Sets Pace for United Way Campaign
Show Off Your Basketball Skills for United Way
Chickenfest Scheduled for Early September
Akron General Kicks Off United Way Campaign
Legacy
III Completes Pacesetter Campaign
Stark &
Knoll Kicks Off 2008 Campaign
United Way's Summit Society -- Continue Your Gift
Forever
Don't
Miss University Park Art Fair at Grace Park
Summit
Lake Community Day Parade August 16th
|
|
|
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Chickenfest
Friday & Saturday,
September 5 & 6, 2008
Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, Noon to 10 p.m.
Lake Anna Park, Barberton
Basketball
Skills Competition/Downtown Campaign Kickoff
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Cascade Plaza
Docs Who
Rock
Saturday, October 25, 2008
7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
E.J. Thomas Hall |
| |
| TAKE
ACTION
First-Time Campaigns
Be a
Volunteer
Make a
Donation
Born
Learning
Brown Bag
Seminars
Visit our
Blog
|
 |
2008 Pacesetters
Access, Inc.
Acme Arsena Company, Inc.
Akron General Health System
Albrecht, Incorporated
Apple Growth Partners
Battered Women's Shelter
Bober, Markey, Fedorovich & Co.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Summit County
Brennan, Manna & Diamond, LLC
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire
CBIZ/Mayer Hoffman McCann
City Scrap & Salvage Company
Cohen & Company
Community Legal Aid
CYO & Community Services
Evans Insurance
FirstEnergy Corp.
Floyd Browne Group
Greenleaf Family Center
IKON Office Solutions
Kastner, Westman & Wilkins, LLC
Legacy III, Inc.
McKinley, Inc.
Mental Health America of Summit County
OMNOVA Solutions
Pneumatic Scale Angelus
Salvation Army Summit County
Stark & Knoll
State and Federal Communications, Inc.
The Geopfert Company
United Way of Summit County
UPS
UPS Freight
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLP
YMCA Akron-Area
2008 First-Time Campaigns
Allied Infotech Corporation
Ardmore, Inc.
Cavanaugh Building Corporation
Community Health Center
Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.
Omega Laboratories
Perrin Asphalt Company
ServiceMaster by Corbett
Shelter Care, Inc.
Standard Jig Boring Service
Steel Structures of Ohio LLC
|
|
Roadway's United Way Linebacker Delivers
About 100 United Way Campaign Coordinators attended a Campaign
Coordinator Workshop sponsored by Roadway on Wednesday.
Leroy Schalk, Roadway's United Way 'linebacker', personally
delivered this year's Roadway coordinator to the meeting (see photo
at left). Attendees
shared best practices and first time coordinators had the
opportunity to learn the basics as well as successful techniques. If
you were unable to attend, please email
sguiher@uwsummit.org or your campaign staff contact to
schedule a follow up meeting. Our complete
campaign coordinators toolkit is always at your fingertips on our
website.
|
 Theresa Carter
Throws a Strike
for United Way
Sunday, July 27 was United Way/Red Cross day at Canal Park as the
Akron Aeros took on the Binghamton Mets.
Theresa Carter, 2008 Campaign Chair was on hand to throw out the
first pitch -- a strike, naturally.
Thanks Theresa!
Photo courtesy of
Ashley Leonard,
Akron Aeros
|
|
OMNOVA
Solutions Reaches Increased Goal |
 |
OMNOVA
Solutions
has always been a leading supporter of the United Way --
but this year is special for both the campaign and OMNOVA. Theresa
Carter, President of the OMNOVA Solutions Foundation, was named the
2008 Summit County Campaign Chair to lead fundraising for the entire
county.
"We are proud of all the great work that Theresa does for the
community on behalf of the OMNOVA Solutions Foundation, and that she
has been selected to chair this year's campaign," said Kevin
McMullen, OMNOVA Solutions Chairman and CEO. "She is the perfect
choice to help the United Way achieve its aggressive goal of over
$11 million. We wish her the best and pledge to do our best to
support her in this endeavor." |
Representatives from OMNOVA Solutions and the United Way of
Summit County produced a video, which will be shown at campaign
events throughout the community. The five-minute video uses the Live
United™ theme and incorporates real people from the community to
demonstrate how we are all connected.
During this year's campaign, OMNOVA Solutions reached its goal of
raising $220,000 for the community. As a pacesetter company, OMNOVA
conducted an aggressive three-day campaign drive from July 29-31,
focusing on one facility each day. Each site listened to speakers
from the United Way and OMNOVA, watched the Live United™ video and
were treated to a delicious luncheon.
In addition to traditional employee contributions, each facility
raised extra funds through bake sales, raffles and a silent auction.
The biggest hit was a live auction, conducted by Professional
Auctioneer Denny Eberhart, at OMNOVA's corporate headquarters in
Fairlawn. These events helped raise over $8,000 in additional
donations!
Way to go!!
|
Show Off Your Basketball Skills for United
Way
 United Way of Summit County is looking for corporate participants
for the annual Basketball Skills Competition. The event takes place
Tuesday, September 9, 2008,
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Cascade Plaza, Downtown Akron. It will
serve as the 2008 United Way Campaign Kick-off.
Corporate teams will consist of two people: one male, and one
female. Organizations can submit up to three teams. The teams will
compete in three events: Free-throw Shooting, Timed Three-point
Shootout, and Around the World. The total points of both
participants will be added up to determine the winning team.
You can sign-up your teams online or contact Steve Kaufman at 330.643.5507
or email
skaufman@uwsummit.org for more
information.
|
Chickenfest Scheduled for Early September
 United
Way of Summit County will once again host 'Chickenfest!TM'
at Barberton's Lake Anna Park on September 5th and 6th, 2008.
As a reminder, food vendors and crafters interested in participating
in Chickenfest can call Michael Gaffney at 330.643.5532. There are
still some spaces available.
In keeping with Barberton's claim as the 'chicken capital of the
world,' food vendors are required to serve only chicken. Variety is
encouraged -- chicken sausage, chicken gyros, chicken hot dogs,
chicken-kabobs, etc. -- but any meat products sold at Chickenfest
must be chicken. Other food items, such as fries and elephant ears
will be available.
The event will run Friday, September 5 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and
Saturday, September 6, from 12 noon to 10 p.m. Live bands will be
performing in the Gazebo both nights from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and 3
p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
|
|
Akron General Kicks Off United Way Campaign
 Akron
General Health System recently started their annual United Way
campaign. Alan Bleyer, Akron General's President and CEO said, "For
years, Akron General employees have proudly supported local area
residents who look to United Way agencies for assistance. Now more
than ever, citizens are turning to United Way agencies in their time
of need.
I am proud year after year
that so many of our employees support this cause, standing by our
mission to improve the health and lives of our patients and
community." United Way would like to thank everyone at Akron
General for their commitment to improving our community.
|
|
Legacy III Completes Pacesetter Campaign
Legacy III completed a successful 2008 Pacesetter campaign with
an increase in their giving. Darnella Cummings provided tremendous leadership to her staff, and
it reflected in their charitable giving. Legacy III is a United Way
Affiliated Agency
providing transitional housing services for homeless women suffering
from chronic substance abuse to help them become stable and
self-sufficient members of society. United Way would like to
thank Legacy III for its continued support of the United Way
Campaign.
|
Stark & Knoll Kicks Off 2008 Campaign
 Fairlawn
law firm Stark & Knoll kicked off their 2008 Campaign on July
15th with a cookout featuring Managing Partner John Krajewski as
grill master. The firm invited the United Way and Boys & Girls Club
of the Western Reserve to speak to the staff and the company offered
some great incentives for contributing to the campaign. Stark &
Knoll is the reigning winner of the Wendell L. Willkie Award, which
recognizes the law firm with the largest increase in per capita
giving, for the second year running.
|
|
United Way's
Summit Society -- Continue Your Gift Forever
Many donors have a life-long commitment to United Way and
contribute year after year, some as long as 30 or 40 years and
even longer! But sad to say, every year some of our faithful,
generous donors pass away.
When a
long-time donor dies, the community loses a cherished supporter
who has helped countless families and children through their
annual gifts. Did you know there is a way for you to continue
your support forever?
 Through the
Summit Society, United Way donors can establish a named
endowment fund at the Akron Community Foundation. A portion of
the fund's return will be paid out every year -- forever
--
as your annual gift to United Way. The "rule-of-thumb" is
to multiply your current gift by 20. Are you currently giving
$250 annually? A cash gift of $5,000 will continue your
annual United Way contribution year after year, even after you
have passed away, to carry on your legacy of support for the
annual campaign.
For more
information about the Summit Society, contact Charlene Corlett
at United Way at 330.643.5537 or
ccorlett@uwsummit.org; or Suzanne Allen, Ph.D., Akron
Community Foundation, 330.376.8522 or
sallen@akroncommunityfdn.org.
|
Don't Miss University Park Art Fair at Grace
Park
 Presented
by the University Park Development Corporation, the
University Park Art Fair at Grace Park is a one-day fine art and
fine craft event held in the heart of the University Park district
in Akron. The event will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2008 from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in Grace Park
(click here for map) at Perkins and N.
Prospect Streets in Akron.
Admission & parking are free.
Expected to draw more than 100 artists and thousands of guests, the
fair will feature ceramics, glass, wearable art, furniture, drawings
& graphics, fiber, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, painting,
photography, sculpture, watercolor, wood art and more!
In addition to the artists, there will be live music, great food,
art project make & takes, an Akron History Tour on the City of Akron
Trolley and rides on the Green University Park Free Shuttle.
For more information visit their website at
www.universityparkartfair.org.
United Way of Summit County is one of the sponsors of this
event.
|
Summit
Lake
Community Day Parade August 16
The 6th annual Summit Lake Parade will take place on
August 16, 2008. Parade line-up will be at the Cotton Club, 1056 S.
Main St. at 11:00 and the parade will step-off at 12:00 noon, going
down Long St. to Lakeshore Blvd. turning on Miller Ave. and ending up
at Botnick Plaza.
Due to renovations to the playground area at the Summit Lake
Community Center there will be no festival this year, however there
will be food and drinks for parade participants at the Miller Ave.
United Church of Christ.
Sponsors for this year's parade are the City of Akron, Summit Lake
Neighborhood Association, Miller Ave. U.C.C., SD Myers Inc. and
Buckeye Community Health.
|
|
