The target has been fixed and all systems are go for the next United Way telethon this fall.
James Trobert, the Estevan UW president, said the board of directors met last Thursday and fixed the goal for 2010's marathon at an even $300,000, up $15,000 from last year's targeted amount that was met and surpassed.
Asked if he was nervous about setting such an ambitious amount to be raised during a day and a half, Trobert said, "Not at all. The Estevan community has always come together for this event. I am totally confident, just as in the years past, our citizens will come through just as they have in the past 34 years."
Asked if he felt the financial target was achievable, based on the fact that the recent Relay for Life, another major fundraising event in the city, failed to reach its financial goal this year, Trobert said he felt the United Way goal was "realistic and doable."
The president of the local UW committee sai the campaign receives a few corporate donations early on in the year, "but 99 per cent is done within the telethon weekend."
Of course the employee payroll deduction scheme is going on all year with the money coming in on the telethon weekend, as well as the majority of the corporate, individual and legacy donations.
"There will be one minor tweak to this year's event on October 15 and 16 and that will be the fact that it will end at 5 p.m. on the 16th, not the traditional 6 p.m. time. That's being done to accommodate Access Communication's television schedule. They have an additional commitment that night, so instead of a 34-hour telethon, it will be a 33-hour telethon.
"Access has been such a devoted participant and very helpful all these years, the board felt there should be no problem in making the minor change for this year," said Trobert.
The UW committee will now take a brief summer break and then "gear up again in August full force," said Trobert.
"We're looking forward to it and I'll just repeat again, I think the city and the surrounding community are up to the challenge."
The local United Way serves about 20 local agencies and organizations that provide services to the community.
