Ledyard Businesses and Volunteers Honored at United Way Campaign Celebration

United Way of Southeastern Connecticut hosted its Campaign Celebration event on March 20 at the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa to recognize local businesses and volunteers that helped to raise $5,786,952 for local health and human services in New London County. This amount marks a slight increase of about $66,000 from what was raised through the United Way Campaign the previous year.

The 2013 United Way Campaign was co-chaired by Robert Nardone of General Dynamics Electric Boat and Keith Brothers of the Norwich-New London Building & Construction Trades Council & Laborers’ Local 547. The dollars raised in the campaign support local programs that help children thrive, support community wellness, promote independence, and provide basic needs including food and heating assistance.

In recognizing the volunteers present at the event, Rodney Butler, Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and member of United Way’s Campaign Cabinet, noted “The work of United Way, its volunteers and partner programs wouldn’t be possible with you…We’re a community of people. And when we work together, we lift each other up, we lift up the entire community and we advance the common good for all.”

Ledyard businesses and individuals honored this year for their fundraising efforts on behalf of United Way include:

· Dale Wolbrink from Foxwoods Resort Casino received Campaign Coordinator of the Year, recognizing an individual who goes above and beyond to create diverse special events and educational opportunities to energize the United Way campaign at their company;

· Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation/Foxwoods Resort Casino received the Community Leader of the Year, for their innovative and passionate support of United Way and the local community; and

· Americas Styrenics received Small Business of the Year, recognizing a small business that has increased its participation with United Way through a corporate gift or the incorporation of a workplace campaign for the first time.

Overall, thirty individuals and businesses were recognized at the event. The Chairman’s Award of Excellence, the highest and most prestigious honor a company can receive for running a United Way Campaign, was presented to Zachry Nuclear Engineering, based in Stonington. The company and its employees donated a total of $123,654. The company experienced 88% participation in the campaign among 153 employees at its Stonington facility. Zachry provides a dollar-for-dollar corporate match on employee giving, with 75 cents going to United Way and 25 cents directed to the Zachry Care Team which funds year-round United Way Day of Caring volunteer projects for its employees.

At the Campaign Celebration, United Way of Southeastern Connecticut President & CEO Virginia L. Mason announced the incoming co-chairs for the 2014 Campaign will be Brian Orenstein, CEO of Charter Oak Federal Credit Union, and Wayne Burgess, President of the Southeastern Connecticut Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

United Way of Southeastern Connecticut is advancing the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all, focusing on helping children to thrive, providing for basic human needs, and promoting independence and community wellness. United Way recruits people and organizations that bring the passion, expertise, and resources needed to get things done.

United Way of Southeastern Connecticut is a locally-based organization serving the towns of New London County.