SPRING LAKE, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – The bottom-line goal remains elusive for the Greater Ottawa County United Way.
Although pleased with a one-percent increase in giving from last year, the annual community campaign concluded last night with a total of just over 2.3 million dollars, still a couple hundred thousand dollars short of the 2.5 million-dollar goal that has eluded local United Way President Patrick Moran and his agency for now three years running. “It almost feels like we got to be striving every single day,” he admitted. “Not every year, but on a daily basis to say, ‘That was great; what can we do tomorrow to grow, to make more people get involved and let people understand that, although we had success, although we were able to serve one in four people in our community, we’re still not able to serve them the way that we want to.”
Total donors were up three percent to more than 72 hundred, and while the number of volunteers dipped slightly to nearly 87 hundred, the amount of time offered grew to more than 161 thousand total hours. Campaign co-chairs Mark and Lori Wilson were among those honored during a Tuesday night “Live United Celebration” event at the Spring Lake Country Club.
