Democracy on the Front Lines
City Administrator’s Blog
Walter Denton
August 17, 2007
One of our fun activities each year is the United Way pledge campaign. We organize competitions and prizes to bring excitement to the campaign and we enjoy raising money for those who need help in our community. One of the prizes is an ice cream party for the department that pledges the most per person. The United Way campaign was actually held last fall, but the employees wanted to wait until summer to have the party.
We had the ice cream party this week for the Planning and Zoning Department, which won the party for the third time in four years. Not only do they get free ice cream, but I have to serve the sundaes. Here are some photos of my culinary skills:
Congratulations to the employees of the Planning and Zoning Department! Standing (from left to right): Matt Ament, Nikki Keifer, Jerry Koerkenmeier, Erick Harris, Ted Shekell, Jennifer Howland, and me (complete with apron and chef’s hat!). Seated (from left to right): Codi Allison, Jeff Stehman, and Jerry McNulty.
Also this week, we fulfilled another United Way prize where the Department Heads wash the cars of selected City employees who donated to the United Way. This is always a popular event, as the employees get to watch me and the Department Heads toil in dirt and suds. Here is a photo of the department heads in front of the car of winner Kacie Firkus, who works in Utility Billing.
Standing (from left to right): Public Safety Director John Betten, Parks & Recreation Director Mary Jeanne Hutchison, Planning Director Ted Shekell, Finance Director Dean Rich, me, and Deputy City Clerk Maryanne Fair. Seated: Assistant City Administrator Pam Funk and City Engineer Dennis Sullivan.
Of course, the United Way is serious organization and they do great things in our community. For those not familiar, the United Way provides funding for more than 200 local health and human service agencies in the St. Louis metropolitan area. I support the United Way because every dollar donated stays in St. Louis. In Illinois, 96 United Way agencies served 161,836 residents of St. Clair County, from the YMCA to the Girl Scouts to the Illinois Center for Autism. More than $3.1 million was given to Illinois agencies in 2006 through the United Way.
We allow employees to donate to the United Way through payroll deduction, so they can give a little in each paycheck and not really feel it. We have competitions and prizes during the campaign because giving should be fun and our employees enjoy the camaraderie. Our campaign’s success is due primarily to April Mitchell and Pam Funk, who organized the campaign and attended the employee rallies. The success of our United Way campaign illustrates the compassion and caring of our employees and I appreciate their generosity to our neighbors in need.
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