John Cannon
The Independent
ASHLAND —
United Way of Northeast Kentucky is taking a different approach to launch its 2010 fundraising campaign. Instead of bringing in a well-known Kentuckian to speak at a kickoff luncheon, the United Way is inviting United Way volunteers to have lunch at the Community Kitchen and tour the Salvation Army, the Community Hospice Care Center and Safe Harbor on any one of three days in September.
“We’ve tried bringing in well-known celebrities like Tubby Smith and Richie Farmer to inspire our volunteers to get the campaign off to a fast start,” said Steve Towler, executive director of the UW for Boyd, Greenup, Carter, Lawrence and Elliott counties.
“This year we thought we would give them a chance to get a closer look at some of the agencies that receive United Way funds. You know these are places that many of our biggest supporters would never go to unless they are on a guided tour.”
The tours, which will begin at 11 a.m. and end by 3 p.m., will be Sept. 14, Sept. 16 and Sept. 24. Leaders of the UW campaigns for area businesses and industries are asked to select the date that best suits them.
As of Wednesday afternoon, about 20 had signed up for one of the three dates, but Towler said he expects the number to increase geatly as the dates get closer.
The City of Ashland has volunteered the use of its buses for the tour. Participants are encouraged to park in the city-owned lot at 14th Street and Winchester Avenue and take the bus for the tour to avoid traffic congestion caused by having people drive to each location.
“If you can only attend part of the session, we will get you back to your vehicle when you need to leave,” Towler said.
Towler encourages local UW leaders to invite other members of their leadership team and their superiors to participate in one of the tours.
“We have some longtime supporters who never miss our events,” Towler said. “But then again we have some generous givers who never show up for anything we do but always contribute. It depends on the individual.”
Each tour begins at 11 a.m. at Community Kitchen fellowship hall of Calvary Episcopal Church, 14th Street and Winchester Avenue.
Towler said the four agencies were selected because they provide a good cross-section of the types of services provided by UW agencies.
“If we have a good response, we will do the same thing next year with four different agencies,” Towler said.
JOHN CANNON can be reached at jcannon@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2649.
