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Municipal workers hand over $134K to United Way

Campaign contributions represent about 5.9 per cent of this year's $2.28-million target.
City United Way Cheques
City of Thunder Bay employees, together with Superior North EMS and Thunder Bay Public Library staff, hand over cheques totalling more than $134,000 to the United Way of Thunder Bay on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018 at the Community Auditorium. (Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY – City employees, together with Superior North EMS staff and Thunder Bay Public Library routinely hand the United Way its largest single annual campaign donation.

They didn’t disappoint in 2018.

Although their $134,027 total was about $19,000 lower than last year’s contribution, the money will have a huge impact, said campaign chair Stephanie Noel on Wednesday, after receiving cheques from all three at a luncheon held at the Community Auditorium.

“We’re extremely delighted with all the efforts the city and the Superior North EMS and the Public Library have done to contribute to this part of the campaign,” Noel said.

“At this point we’re at about 62 per cent of our goal, and we couldn’t be happier.”

The United Way set a modest $2.28 million target this year, more than $300,000 less than their 2017 ask.

Noel acknowledged it’s getting tougher and tougher to get people to give as much as they have in the past.

“I would say that there is always a challenge when you’re holding campaigns for donation. Every single year there are always more demands for people’s dollars, and all we can say as a group is that we’re very grateful for every dollar that every citizen of Thunder Bay and this region gives to the United Way,” Noel said.

Library workers gave $3,369, while paramedics chipped in $32,020 and city staff gave $98,638. 

The organization touches the lives of about one-in-three residents of the city, and Kelly Robertson, the municipality’s campaign co-chair, said workers often see the need first-hand.

“As city employees, many of us touch the lives of residents of Thunder Bay on a day-to-day basis,” Robertson said, noting paramedics often seen the worst of the worst in the course of doing their jobs.

“They encounter people throughout the city who are not in a great situation and how they can benefit from the support of agencies funded by the United Way. For us in community services, a lot of our focus is one children and youth in the city and the funding that is provided to the agencies that benefit from the United Way funding can help our kids be the best that they can be, a very important cause.”

Robertson added that most people in Thunder Bay live with the possibility of one day needed services funded by the United Way.

“Something could happen to us in our lives where we might need to rely on the programs that are supported through United Way funding. You never take for granted your health and your economic situation. It’s a very important cause,” Robertson said.

To donate to this year’s campaign, which closed on Dec. 31, visit www.uwaytbay.ca.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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