Honoring our Volunteers
Without volunteers, United Way would not be able to create lasting change and improve the lives of those most challenged in our community. That's why every year we bring together our valued volunteers during National Volunteer Week and celebrate them and all the great work they make possible.
This year we recognized some of the exemplary volunteers that help us run our most successful campaigns. Read below to learn more about them.
MILLION DOLLAR CAMPAIGNS
THE LOANED EXECUTIVE CUP
The LE Cup, aka the Loaned Executive Cup, goes to the company, in the Loaned Executive program, that saw the highest percent increase over last year that participated in the pilot program. And that company is PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers increased their campaign total by 37%. They achieved 81% employee participation in this year’s campaign as a result of their increased engagement efforts.
PricewaterhouseCoopers might be the smallest company in our Corporate LE group in terms of the number of employees, but their generosity is mighty. Thank you PwC.
THE JACOBS CUP
The Jacobs Cup goes to the company with the largest increase in total dollars raised.
With a campaign that increased by a staggering $275,000 and a total campaign of over $1.2 million, Geico is the winner of the 2018 Jacobs Cup. Their commitment to year-round involvement, sponsorship support, and their innovative engagement strategies are truly an example of how much Geico Cares.
LABOR CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
We are proud to recognize the United Steelworkers Local 135L.
The Steelworkers help to kick off their campaign at Sumitomo Rubber every year with a hot dog sale for all 4 shifts of employees raising $4,500.Which means, yes, there are dedicated union members grilling hot dogs at 1am on a Saturday!
The campaign at Sumitomo Rubber is truly a joint effort between the management and the Steelworkers - an excellent example of a great partnership.
This year, the Steelworkers also participated in I.M. Freeze, a fundraiser where participants fundraise and voluntarily jump into the freezing Niagara River, with the largest group of participants who jumped into the water - and they brought a large group of spectators as well.
Also, we would like to give a special shout out USW Local 135L president Tom O’Shei who is also a UWBEC board member.
THE EUGENE T. REVILLE CUP
The Eugene T. Reville Cup is named in honor of the late Eugene Reville, superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools, to honor the impact and legacy he left here in Buffalo.
This cup is presented to the Buffalo Public School achieving the highest percent increase in campaign over the previous year. Additional criteria to be considered for the Eugene T. Reville trophy includes over 25% participation, with minimum school campaign of $1,000.
I am happy to award this cup to PS #32 Bennett Park Montessori School for the second year in a row. This past year, they doubled their participation in the campaign and had a 63% increase over last year.
I want to recognize Heather Carson-Wake, their campaign coordinator and principal Jennifer Stockmeyer and thank them for their continued support of United Way!
CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Our final award of the morning is the new Campaign Volunteer of the Year award.
This award is given to an individual who has shown an outstanding commitment to the United Way campaign and has a longstanding relationship with United Way. This individuals effort goes beyond just fundraising and impacts the lives of individuals who benefit from United Way services.
I am thrilled to bestow this honor to Terri Schuta principal of South Park High School. Terri is an incredible advocate for United Way in her school, the Buffalo Public School District and our community. She often jokes that when she retires, she is going to come and work with us and that we should have a desk waiting for her. Not only has Terri been instrumental in running the United Way campaign at Buffalo Public Schools, but she has gone above and beyond to share the important role United Way plays in our community.
The success of our partnership is demonstrated by the remarkable and consistent upsurge of the student, family, and community engagement during the extended day and Saturday programming at South Park High School. During the 2017-2018 school years over 6,051 students, families and community members were reached exceeding our targets by 132%.
Terri always comes through for United Way and her students, no matter what the circumstances. Her dedication to United Way has helped us strengthen our relationships with a number of our community partners, just by her always being willing to jump in and help. Thank you, Terri, for everything that you have done and will continue to do for our community.