Just three weeks into this year’s fundraising season and the Effingham branch of United Way of the Coastal Empire is surging toward its $270,000, announcing an impressive 46 percent Tuesday.

 

“Without a doubt, Effingham County is far superior when it comes to compassion and caring for their community,” said Bonnie Dixon, executive director of the Effingham service center of United Way of the Coastal Empire. “They show it in so many ways, and United Way giving is just another example of that.”

 

Natalie Wiser, one of the Georgia Pacific loaned associates for this year’s campaign, said that while they are usually begging people to help, first-time givers Ardry Trading Company in Rincon contacted United Way saying that it already had conducted their own employee campaign. Each of the 17 employees participated, bringing in $3,120 in pledges.

 

Other large contributors so far are the two pacesetter companies, the Effingham County Board of Education, which posted $70,219, and Georgia Power employees of the Springfield site and Plant McIntosh, who contributed $19,056.

 

For the complete story, see Friday's edition of the Herald.