Day of Giving Results Are In!
This year’s United Way of Greater Topeka (UWGT) Day of Giving was the most successful yet, according to UWGT Vice President of Resource Development, Angel Romero.
Romero said, “We couldn’t be more excited about these results! This has been our most successful Day of Giving ever. But even more important than the amount is the lives that will be changed because of the donors who stepped forward. For example, these dollars would pay for an entire week of high-quality preschool for a whole classroom of students at Pine Ridge Prep Preschool. That’s a significant investment in our community’s future.”
The $30,179 raised from the third year of the one-day, mostly online giving event was a $10,000 increase from the year before. UWGT uses the Day of Giving to punctuate the final month of the annual campaign and encourage those who may have missed the opportunity to donate earlier.
UWGT CEO Jessica Lehnherr was pleased by this year’s Day of Giving success, and said, “We’ve always known what a generous community we live in – but it still amazes us each year to see the kind of impact that can be made on a single day. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that we truly are stronger when we work together to tackle our community’s biggest challenges. These dollars will enable us to continue the important work of building a strong, healthy and equitable community for everyone.”
Donations Translate to Community Impact
Romero provided additional examples of what the money raised on Day of Giving could mean in the community.
- One week of high-quality preschool for a classroom of students at Pine Ridge Prep
- Five years of books for 10 kids through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
- 34 kids get access to a real-life financial simulation and classroom instruction to learn about financial management and planning
- 133 seniors receive a prepared meal, safety visit, and monthly education opportunity
UWGT also used the day to connect with workplace campaign and community partners. Laird Noller Ford and MCP Group held breakfast kickoffs for their employees to promote the Day of Giving. Both companies are important corporate partners to United Way–running workplace campaigns, volunteering at Nancy Perry Day of Caring, serving on investment panels, and participating in Christmas Bureau.
UWGT staff and volunteers also distributed books and activity kits to students and their families gathered at Topeka Public Schools summer nutrition sites at Pine Ridge Prep, Quincy Elementary and Westminster Presbyterian Church. And volunteers from the 190th Air Refueling Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard helped paint and clean at one of the Boys & Girls Club facilities.
The current annual campaign ends June 30, 2022. Donors can still give anytime at GiveTopeka.org, or by visiting the office at 1527 SW Fairlawn Road during business hours.
Celebration is Next Event
United Way will announce this year’s total and recognize successful campaigns at its July 12 Campaign Celebration. That event includes the presentation of five campaign awards for large and small businesses. Tickets are available at https://unitedwaytopeka.org/campaigncelebration/.
