BY B.G. GREGG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati's United Way & Community Chest announced Thursday it had received a record $54,100,531 in donations this year, surpassing its goal by more than $270,000.
The organization had been shooting for a record $53.83 million. Last year's campaign tallied $52 million.
Campaign Chairman Daniel J. Meyer announced the news to more than 500 supporters in a celebration at Music Hall.
"This is truly a community of volunteers that step up with their time and dollars to make Cincinnati such a great place," said Mr. Meyer, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Milacron Inc.
Good news occurred in Warren County, too, where the United Way there raised $1,802,561, surpassing its goal of $1.8 million. In Butler County and Oxford, United Ways were still campaigning, but results were good.
Nearly 2,000 businesses ran employee campaigns to help the Cincinnati's United Way reach its goal. New businesses accounted for more than $400,000 in donations.
At least 2,200 people contributed $2,500 or more for a record total of $10.5 million.
The last time the United Way did not top the amount it raised in the previous year was 1992, and it has only happened one other time, 1990, in recent history.
The United Way supports more than 160 agencies in Brown, Clermont, Hamilton, Warren and parts of Butler counties in Ohio, and Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Kentucky.
In addition to the services the United Way annually funds to help the elderly, children, drug-addicted, mentally-ill and other needy in the community, the organization recently announced it would undertake a $25 million initiative entitled Every Child Succeeds.
The program, which will be only partially funded with United Way money, will have nurses or social workers visit the homes of new mothers throughout the region.
The United Way also expects increased demands on its agencies as people continue to leave the welfare rolls for low-paying jobs. The United Way commissioned a study in 1994 called Shaping the Future. That study determined the agency would need to raise $100 million by 2005 to meet all of the community's needs.
In Warren County, United Way Executive Director James A. Pottebaum said he was nervous about making his record goal. Last year, the organization raised $1,714,064.
"We were biting our nails in the last week," he said. "We didn't know we had it until (Wednesday) afternoon."
The Butler County United Way has raised $1,826,000 so far, Executive Director Sylvia Geisler said. The campaign wraps up Nov. 12 and the goal is $2.3 million. Last year, the organization raised $2,048,000.
The Oxford United Way has raised about $110,000 so far, Executive Director George Simonds said. The goal is $156,000. Last year, the organization raised $152,500.
The campaign is scheduled to wrap up Nov. 7, but Mr. Simonds said it may go on a few weeks after that.
