United Way Campaign Approaching Goal

December 11, 2003 Dayton, OH  Leaders of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Dayton Development Coalition, Downtown Dayton Partnership, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, and the AFL-CIO Regional Labor Council held a news conference today to show and urge support for the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area 2003 Campaign as it nears its goal and wrap-up date.

With three weeks to go in the public phase of the United Way Campaign, we are approaching our goal of $13 million and one dollar more, said 2003 Campaign Chairman Pete Luongo, retired CEO of The Berry Company and member of the Dayton Development Coalition Board of Trustees. With completed campaigns and others underway and scheduled, the campaign has raised $12.6 million of our United Way goal. This figure is part of the $15.6 million raised to date towards the total community-wide goal of $16 million, which includes the Combined Federal Campaign at Wright Patterson and other independent campaigns run in partnership with United Way at a few local companies.

The focus of this entire campaign has been to get the message out about the needs to tell the stories of the real people right here in our community who need help and get help every day through the United Way network of services, Luongo said. The needs are greater than ever and the goal is in our reach.

Thats why were here today to remind our community about those needs and rally their support to put this campaign over the top. We know well get there because our community will respond.

Phil Parker, President and CEO of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, mentioned one of several strategies in place to raise the remaining dollars. Were sending a special email to our members to ask any company that has not yet given, to please make a corporate gift and/or run an employee campaign, he said. Its not too late, and the folks in need are counting on us.

Maureen Pero, President and CEO of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, Lt. Gen. Richard V. Reynolds, Vice Commander of the Air Force Material Command and Department of Defense Liaison of the Dayton Development Coalition, and Wesley Wells, Executive Director of the AFL-CIO Regional Labor Council all urged their constituents and everyone in the community to do their part to help meet local needs .

The public phase of the campaign ends on December 31 st . Final results will be announced in the spring when all workplace fundraising results tallied at corporate headquarters outside the region have been reported.

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