United Way of Portage County will hold its 2019 Recognition Luncheon Wednesday, February 12, at noon at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center in Stevens Point. Register online for the event by February 5, by clicking here.
Highlights from the event will include:
INDIVIDUAL HONORS
United Way of Portage County will honor several longtime individual supporters, as well as some more recent supporters who worked collectively to make the 2019 campaign a record-setting effort.
Among the individual honorees are Ray Nass, who will receive United Way’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and Pete and Laura McPartland, who will receive the Tina Peters Dedicated Service Award.
Other individual honorees include Molly Sankey, Heather Wynne, Dave Bakken, and Kathy Davies, who will receive the Fritzie Marquard LIVE UNITED Volunteer of the Year Award; Erin Olson who will receive the Speakers Bureau Award; Anne Leton, Lynette Patoka, and Bev Staniak, who will each receive the Special Recognition Award.
In addition, Plover Fire Department, who will receive the Campaign Coordinator Team of the Year Award.
RECOGNITION FOR ORGANIZATIONS
Dozens of Portage County organizations will receive recognition for contributing to 2019’s record-setting United Way of Portage County Campaign.
Spectra Print will receive the 2019 Community Spirit Award, a traveling award presented each year to an organization that demonstrates outstanding corporate and employee support of United Way, exemplifies great community spirt, and defines what it means to LIVE UNITED.
Verso-Stevens Point Mill, Associated Bank, Len Dudas Motors, Inclusa, and Ki Mobility will receive the Special Service Award for commitment, leadership and innovation through an internal campaign or on behalf of the community campaign.
Stevens Point Orthopedics will receive the Best New Campaign Award, while Sentry Insurance will receive the Million Dollar Circle Award for having run its fifth consecutive million-dollar campaign in 2019. Verso-Stevens Point Mill will also receive the Corporate Volunteer Engagement Award.
Organizations will also be honored for reaching specific goals, amounts, and percentages in corporate and employee campaigns.
PASSING OF THE LEADERSHIP TORCH
The team of Doug Munsey, Jeff Budelier, and Les Dobbe- United Way of Portage County’s 2019 Campaign Drive Chairs, will pass the leadership torch to a team consisting of Past Drive Chairs, steering us into our 75th year.
The 2019 team led United Way to a record-breaking year in which corporate and individual donations totaled $3,203,369. United Way will present several tokens of its appreciation to them during the event.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Gloria A. Wilder, M.D., MPH, nationally recognized pediatrician, entrepreneur and expert on poverty and social justice. Dr. Wilder has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey show, CBS’ 48 Hours and NBC’s Dateline, will be presenting "Rising Tide: Strengthening Community Resilience One Person At A Time".
Investors Community Bank, Amerprise Financial Services, and Ascension are event sponsors for the 2019 United Way Recognition Luncheon.