Spooky Spirit, Give to Win safe options during pandemic
We know it’s the same story for many. This year started out with so much promise, and now many are faced with the loss of a loved one, financial problems, sickness and a list of things still undone.
We’re now well into the third part of 2020, and while there’s still a pandemic going on, we’re continually feeling the effects of COVID-19 from March, April and May, when it first impacted many of us.
Back in early March, we at the United Way were in full event-season mode, working hard to plan Corporate Cup, the Blue and Gold Mine Sale and Power of the Purse.
Corporate Cup is a competition in which members of the business community vie to be the best in several different events: Volleyball, kickball, team trivia, three-point shot, cornhole and more. This year? Canceled.
Blue and Gold Mine Sale has become a popular event in the community and features a large sale of donated items at the WVU stadium concourse to raise money. It is always heavily attended and a great partnership between the United Way and WVU. This year? Canceled.
Power of the Purse is held to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and consists of a large get together featuring fashionable purse raffles and silent auctions, all with a fun, party atmosphere. This year? Canceled.
We don’t have to tell you about cancellations, though. For the health and safety of this community, these events, and many others we’ve heard about, had to be postponed or cut altogether.
That doesn’t change the fact that many of us are still struggling financially and emotionally. In fact, at the United Way, it’s in our very job descriptions to help this community as much as we can. We do it through raising money for our funded partners, connecting people with volunteer opportunities, running several programs for this community out of our office, and trying to help people find the right resources for them.
The annual campaign raises the money that makes those things possible.
Many people know the United Way campaign runs from roughly September to December. You may see the signs up in yards, notice the large community thermometers or read or watch a story about United Way at this time of year. In fact, a lot of time is spent working on promoting and fundraising for the campaign.
What you might not realize is that there are many other events that factor into the successfulness of the campaign season. Namely those canceled events we told you about earlier.
Money raised from Corporate Cup, the Blue and Gold Mine Sale and Power of the Purse ultimately goes toward meeting our annual campaign goal. So, when events like that don’t happen, it means we’ve got to make up for it in other ways.
The Spooky Sprint, our inaugural virtual 5K walk/run, is one event that we’ve planned for this month.
We’ve also added the Give to Win Auction/Raffle/50-50, which can be found at unitedwaympc.org/givetowin. You can bid on several auction items, including a getaway to Blackwater Falls, a Zoom with sports broadcaster Tony Caridi, a round of golf for two at Pete Dye Golf Club and more. Or you can purchase a chance to win a dinner at Tin 202 with Findley Martin Wine, a $500 Visa gift card, a Yeti cooler, a HealthWorks membership and personal training sessions, and more. Make sure to get your bids in by noon Nov. 10.
It’s a different year for all of us, that’s for sure, but if you’re still able to donate in some way for the good of this community, we’re asking you to do so. Every dollar counts, and every donation is important to us.
If you’d like to donate to the United Way, please visit unitedwaympc.org/give.
