United Way reaches goal

United Way of Bourbon County board member Jared Leek fills in the final heart on the goal thermometer Friday afternoon outside Fort Scott City Hall. --Michael Pommier/Herald-Tribune

After six months of campaigning, the United Way of Bourbon County has reached its goal of $99,999.99.

"Yeah! We made goal," United Way of Bourbon County Executive Secretary Whendi Martin said.

It was determined the goal was met after a series of hearings in which 15 non-profit agencies made a presentation to the organization's board of directors. According to Martin, the hearings included a presentation of the agency's financial state, the agency's purpose, and what would be done with the money received. Martin added that all 15 agencies which applied received funding.

Agencies receiving funding from the 2008-09 campaign include the Bourbon County Senior Citizens, Tri-Valley Developmental Services, the Bourbon County Chapter of the American Red Cross, Southeast Kansas Respite Services, 4-H Fair, United Cerebral Palsy of Kansas, the Salvation Army, Kansas Legal Services, the Crisis Resource Center of SEK, Inc., the Resource Center for Independent Living, Inc., Boy Scouts Ozark Trails Council, Hospitality Fund, Keyhole Youth Center, Mother to Mother Ministry, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

United Way of Bourbon County board members, from left to right, Mike Lakeman, Angie Aikin, Marlene Arndt, Gina Findley, Shawn Hill, Whendi Martin, Tom Robertson, Kathy Gray, Susan Brown and Jared Leek, pose next to the goal thermometer Friday afternoon after filling in the final heart that signified the agency had reached its $99,999.99 goal. --Michael Pommier/Herald-Tribune

Martin said the first allocation has already been paid to the agencies. A payment of $27,000 was made in anticipation of achieving the goal.

"We knew with what we had to project, we would more than likely hit goal," Martin said.

During the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Coffee Thursday, March 5, at the Liberty Theatre, the United Way of Bourbon County will present community awards to local businesses for their contributions to the agency. They will present a total of eight awards including four traveling awards and four awards going to businesses for donating the most in their division.

Nuss and Farmer will receive the award in the Professional division; Fort Scott Community College will receive the award in the Public division; Westar Energy will receive the award in the Industrial division; and Citizens Bank, N.A., will receive the award in the Commercial division.

The traveling awards were given to UMB Bank for having 100 percent participation from employees; Citizens Bank, N.A., was awarded the Over The Top award for donating $2,500 more than the previous year; Ward/Kraft, Inc. was given the In-Kind award for their donation of all the printed materials used by the United Way of Bourbon County; and Westar Energy was awarded the Off and Running award for being the first business to give a donation.

The United Way of Bourbon County will host its annual meeting March 31 in which new board members will be elected.