United Way holds annual fundraising celebration luncheon

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press

United Way of the Greater Tri-County Area celebrated its fundraising year with a luncheon on Tuesday, during which the top fundraisers were recognized.

This year’s theme was “Kickin’ up your boots and tippin’ your hats to help United Way!”. The United Way of the Greater Tri-County area helps support a number of local organizations, such as Cove House Emergency Homeless Shelter. Representatives from Cove House and other groups were on hand to serve up the meal, catered by Central Texas College’s Great Western Dining.

Angenet Wilkerson served as one of the luncheon’s emcees and credited all the organizations for the work they do in the area to help the youth of tomorrow and make things better in the local community.

“What we're doing with United Way is we're supporting those organizations and those agencies that help those that are in need. The organizations that we work with in the tri county area, they're the most giving, they're the most supportive, they’re game changers.”

Local programs each meet at least one of four focus areas including basic needs, education, financial independence, and health.

The local member agencies which receive support from the United Way of the Greater Tri-County area include, Central Texas Youth Services Bureau, Inc.; CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties; Communities In Schools of Greater Central Texas, Inc.; Families in Crisis, Inc.; Habitat for Humanity, Inc.; Greater Killeen Community Clinic; Hill Country Community Action as well as the HCCAA-Killeen HELP Center; Bring Everyone In The Zone; Central Texas 4C, Inc.; Children’s Advocacy Center of Central Texas, Inc.; Cove House Emergency Homeless Shelter, Inc.; Killeen Food Care Center; Girl Scouts of Central Texas; and The Refuge Corporation;

Sandra Forsyth served as the chair for this year’s campaign and spoke of the success of the campaign’s efforts.

“It's what we do. We serve United Way. We give United Way. We build communities. We search for heart, because in this town, we are a service-hearted community and we give with heart,” she said. “Why do we give? Why do we build? Why do we celebrate? It's about helping somebody else to have a better life. It's about helping someone who's down trying to get out of a hole to come up. I was taught we do right because it is right to do right. We do right because it is right to do right…our community has done an outstanding job in serving through the United Way.”

Forsyth noted some of the fundraising efforts, as simple as students purchasing  candy – but those numbers added up.

This year’s platinum donors, or groups which raised more than $25,000 included the Copperas Cove Independent School District, Central Texas College, City of Killeen Police Department, H-E-B of Copperas Cove, H-E-B of Harker Heights, and H-E-B #2 and #3 of Killeen.

This year’s triple platinum donors, who raised more than $75,000 were the City of Killeen and H-E-B.

This year’s double platinum donor, who raised more than $50,000 was the Killeen Independent School District.

In the Gold Category, $5,000 and above, were the City of Copperas Cove,

House Creek Elementary, S.C. Lee Junior High, and Williams Ledger Elementary. At the Silfar level, $2,500 and above, was CCISD central administration. In the Bronze category, $1,000 and above CCISD campuses included Halstead Elementary, Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy, and Martin Walker Elementary.

CCISD students had a presence at the event, with the Copperas Cove JROTC posting the colors and the Voice of Cove from CCHS singing the national anthem.