The United Way of Thunder Bay is $230,000 closer to reaching its $2.6 million goal.
Ontario Public Service employees unveiled the total Thursday morning at the Cumberland Street LCBO.
Campaign chair Susan Soldan said their goal was $207,000 and they are thrilled the final total. They weren’t sure they would be able to hit this year’s target because of the May 28 flood putting a strain on donors.
“You don’t know at what point people are tapped out,” she said.
One in three people are aided by an agency funded by the United Way and that’s why Soldan thinks people are willing to keep giving to the organization.
“I think in Thunder Bay we like to know that when we do something, the money is raised in Thunder Bay and it stays in Thunder Bay to help people in Thunder Bay,” she said.
“I think it’s because we’ve all needed help at some time or we’ve been close to somebody – our neighbour, family, a friend, a coworker – that needed help.”
OPS raised the money through several initiatives including employee payroll deductions and special events like bake sales and raffles. The LCBO’s Ask at the Till campaign raised $53,000.
Frank Polari and Doug Flegel cycled from Thunder Bay to Toronto to raise money for the campaign.
With 13 other cyclists from around the province, the pair left from the marina on Sept. 1 and made the 10-day trip to Toronto. They raised about $50,000 as a group with $3,000 for Thunder Bay.
Flegel said he’s always been an avid cyclist and by adding a charitable cause to the mix was extra motivation.
“Every hill you climb is not just for you. You’re doing it for another reason as well,” he said.
He added it feels good to be able to give back.
“You never have expectations of how much you’re going to raise. You just go out and do an event and hope for the best,” he said.
