EVENDALE — Employees of General Electric Aircraft Engines saw their charitable donations doubled last week as the company distributed nearly $300,000 in matching gifts.

        At a breakfast ceremony Friday, representatives of GE presented checks to eight agencies receiving most of the funds. Afterward, GE “Gift Patrol” volunteers took payments, along with cake and balloons, to the others.

        Company volunteer coordinator Paula Kollstedt said GE Aircraft Engines gives a dollar for every dollar its employees contribute.

        The largest contribution went to United Way, Cincinnati, which received a check for $112,500. That amount is GE Aircraft Engines' quarterly contribution to the community fund.

        Other recipients at the breakfast included Foundation of Compassionate American Samaritans (FOCAS); One Way Farm of Fairfield; Sycamore Senior Center; City Gospel Mission, Cincinnati; Over-the-Rhine Kitchen; Hospice of Cincinnati/Bethesda Foundation, Blue Ash; and Open Door Food Pantry, Hamilton.

        A grant of $25,000 from the GE Fund was given to WGUC to help the classical public radio station expand its Classics for Kids programming over the Internet. The station will receive another $25,000 from GE to further that project.

        “This gift will go a long way to developing a Web site to reach thousands of kids all over the world with the basics of classical music,” said Len Sternberg, a representative of WGUC. “As schools begin to rachet down their budgets, oftentimes the music programs are caught in budget crunches. We are the supplement.”

        Other agencies use GE's gifts to support daily operations.

        “The contribution affects our program tremendously because 60 percent of our support comes from private and corporate gifts,” said Barbara Condo, founder and director of One Way Farm. “We're giving back to a community that gives us so much,” said Ted Torbeck, vice president and general manager of GE Aircraft Engines' Supply Chain Division.

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