United Way campaign set to begin

Business and community leaders do not wait for someone else to step forward. If something needs be done, they are ready to help. Leaders set the pace. The employees of four organizations in the United Way of St. Croix County service area are leaving the starting blocks now. First National Bank of Baldwin, School District of Hudson School District of Somerset and WITC-New Richmond are pacesetters for the 1999-2000 United Way campaign. These outstanding organizations are dedicated to helping United Way make our communities better places to live, work and raise children.

The local United Way campaign has gotten off to a quick start in recent years due to the dedication of pacesetting companies. Each year, four companies are asked to conduct early campaigns and to set a challenging internal goal. The goal might be to increase overall contributions beyond the previous year. Sometimes the objective is to increase the employee participation rate. Or each employee may be asked to consider giving a little bit more. The company often adds an element to the drive by agreeing to match employee gifts or providing incentives for participation, like extra vacation time.

Another hallmark of a pacesetter campaign is the desire to have some fun while raising money for a good cause. A United Way campaign can be great for team building. Businesses can use the campaign to boost employee morale - it feels great to do good for others. Different shifts or work groups often challenge each other to see which group can raise the most money.

The United Way of St. Croix County is grateful for the support of the pacesetter organizations. When the pacesetters finish their campaigns, the campaign thermometer will show that the local campaign is on the way to the $450,000 goal. The campaign officially kicks off on September 20 and runs through November 12. Area residents can expect our mailing in late September. The campaign co-chairs this year are Bill Mercer, Baldwin, Roger Bevers and Mike Christensen, Hudson and Jim Vigars, New Richmond.