The United Way and Community Chest threw a party Friday afternoon to celebrate meeting its $60.05 million pledge campaign goal in the most difficult environment in three decades.

        Accompanied by cheering from the sellout crowd at the Millennium Hotel downtown, officials announced that they had received hundreds of checks in the last two weeks to close a projected $2 million shortfall.

        The funds will help more than 160 nonprofit agencies, used by one-third of Tristate residents.

        “We haven't had too many big wins recently in Cincinnati, and we think this is a huge win,” United Way President Rob Reifsnyder said.

        “It means we'll be able to maintain services that are needed. We didn't want to fall backward.”

        A slowing economy and millions of dollars contributed for relief efforts after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks had officials pondering significant cuts to local United Way agencies.

        After announcing the projected shortfall, the United Way sent out 25,000 letters and received more than $100,000, much of it from people who already had contributed, campaign chairman John Barrett said.

        The final estimated tally is $60.055 million, nearly $50,000 more than last year. Agencies affected include both the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

        Procter & Gamble Co. led the campaign again with $14.5 million. A reduction in the number of local P&G employees caused a 15 percent drop in its employee campaign, even though the per-capita contribution increased.

        P&G overcame some of that with increased corporate and retiree gifts.

        “In my 25 years of United Way work, I've never seen a better campaign than this company conducted this year,” Mr. Reifsnyder said.

        Other top contributing companies included Fifth Third Bank ($2.7 million), GE Aircraft Engines ($2.6 million), American Financial Group ($1.7 million) and Cinergy Corp. ($1.6 million).

        As part of the regional United Way campaign, the Northern Kentucky drive raised $3.8 million, while the Clermont/Brown county campaign raised $1.75 million, and the Middletown program raised $1.7 million.

        The United Way in Warren County, which operates independently, raised $2.2 million

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