Campaign Off to A Great Start as Kerite Hosts

Click here to see out Kickoff photo album

     Valley United Way’s Annual Community Fund Raising Campaign to support programs and services in the Valley area began officially with a kickoff rally held at the historic Kerite complex in Seymour. With a theme of “Celebrating the past…Strengthening the Future”, Campaign Chairman Mike Marcinek of the Fletcher-Thompson firm announced a campaign goal of $1,150,000 for the upcoming year. He introduced members of his campaign cabinet including Joe Andreana, Joe Pagliaro, Jr, Elizabeth Buckley, Carla Sullivan, Bill Purcell, David Kelly, John Morreale, Lisa Behling, Michelle Diaz, Jennifer Bull, Mike Wynne, Mayor Jim DellaVolpe Ed Favolise, Dave Grant, Ernie & Nick Luise, Ron Villani, Joanne Morrison and Joanne Scillia. Ruth Parkins, Chair of the Board at Valley United Way, served as the Master of Ceremonies.

          Kerite was selected as the site for this year’s kickoff in recognition of their over 150 year history of doing business in the Valley. Kerite was founded by Austin Goodyear Day in 1854 and has been a leading provider of power cables ever since. The speaking program was held on the porch of the historic Goodyear Day House on the Kerite property. John DeGray, CEO at Kerite welcomed the crowd and invited them to tour the historic home while also giving a brief history of the company.

            Valley United Way also presented a plaque to another historic Valley business which served as home to Valley United Way for more than 20 years. Ansonia Copper & Brass in Ansonia has been in business since 1845, and provided office space for Valley United Way until its move to Shelton earlier this summer. Ray McGee, the CEO at Ansonia Copper & Brass accepted the plaque along with several other employees at Ansonia Copper.

            The impressive work of the United Way’s Corporate Volunteer Council in clothing more than 180 needy children for the new school year and for renovating the Catholic Charities facility in Ansonia was also recognized as part of United Way’s year round community initiatives.

            Jimmy Tickey a former president of Valley United Way’s Youth Leadership program and now a student at Fordham University spoke to the audience about the impact that his involvement has had in preparing him for college and as a future volunteer community leader.

            Mike Marcinek not only announced the new campaign goal, but he also announced that the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven has awarded Valley United Way an incentive challenge grant for $40,000 for this year’s campaign. They will match all new and increased giving up to $40,000. He then followed with the good news that HealthNet of the Northeast ran an early campaign for United Way with a goal of $75,000 that ended up raising a total of over $88,000 for the campaign. He said that results such as those achieved by HealthNet were the key to a successful campaign which is so important in supporting needed programs in the Valley.

Watch for many more photos on Friday!

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