United Way of Kennebec Valley – Fundraiser Kickoff

The United Way of Kennebec Valley is pleased to announce they have launched their  2020 fundraising season.  According to a press release,  the United Way of Kennebec Valley has secured $995,802 in committed support during their Campaign Kickoff Drive-in at The Augusta Civic Center on 9/16/20.

B98.5 was on hand to help support this wonderful community cause. We also spoke with both Chris and Sarah Voynik on-air this week, who are co-chairing the United Way's annual appeal effort along with Merrill's Detector Dog Services.

Just to give you some idea of the direct impact on the people of Central Maine area. According to data released recently, 33 percent of Kennebec Valley residents received direct support from a United Way-funded program. Even more so this year due to the pandemic, the United Way hopes to help even more people than ever announcing a goal of supporting 56,000 people, which is 75 percent of the Kennebec Valley population.

According to Chris Voynik;

"We thought that now was more important than ever to step up and co-chair the United Way campaign because Sarah and I grew up here and thought this was the best way give back. Donations have never been more important; our community is counting on us. That is why we are asking you to reach a little deeper this year, if possible, so our partners programs can continue to operate at high capacity."

During the event, Chris and Sarah presented an amazing video with the theme for the year called "Lead The Way" which focused a light on how th community came together under the challenging circumstances.

The United Way of Kennebec Valley expressed their excitement to group together, the local people of Central Maine and together offer support for over 50 nonprofit programs.

Chirs Voynik mentioned;

"When considering what community needs we wanted to focus on this year, we felt senior services were greatly important. However, our focus shifted a bit with the onset of COVID. Now, more than ever, all of our nonprofit partners need our support so we can ensure that they remain open for many years to come." 

Executive director of UWKV, Courtney Yeager was also on hand and thanked all those that came out to support and answer the United Way's call for help.

If you would like to support the United Way, please contact 207-626-3400 or visit uwkv.org/give.