Countywide : United Way Launches Fund-Raising Drive

With colorful balloons serving as a backdrop and a Dixieland band trumpeting a few Southern tunes, the United Way launched its fall campaign last week in Irvine and set a goal to raise $20.2 million by mid-December.

Dubbed “A Day of Caring,” the start of the fall campaign, in which an estimated 300 people showed up, had a second purpose: 600 volunteers were to start sprucing up 33 health and human service agencies in Orange County--the Boys and Girls Club, battered women’s shelters and the Salvation Army, to name a few.

“These are the organizations that help people but need help themselves, and we’re there to lend a helping hand,” said Jeff Rocke, the vice president of the nonprofit organization.

But most of the fanfare behind the Sept. 16 start of the campaign centered on reaching the $20.2-million goal, a 4.5% increase over last year’s $19.3 million raised. Rocke said 10 “pace setting” companies, did their part by contributing a total of $587,000.

“It was a boost out of the blocks,” Rocke said.