United Way’s Annual Volunteer Reception and Snowflake Gala Celebrates “Community”

More than 750 donors and volunteers will join the United Way of Central Oklahoma at the annual Volunteer Reception and Snowflake Gala to celebrate the results of the annual fundraising campaign and to honor our community’s most outstanding United Way volunteers on Friday, January 24th at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

Preceding the Snowflake Gala, the Volunteer Awards Reception will be the setting where United Way of Central Oklahoma Board Chairman David Thompson will present the organization’s three most prestigious volunteer awards:  Martha Lippert will receive the Richard H. Clements Lifetime Achievement Award and Steve Eddy, City Manager of Moore, Oklahoma, will be honored with the John Rex Community Builder Award.  Kris Rogers and James Bertsch each will be presented with the Ray Ackerman Leadership Award. This invitation only reception will take place at 5:30 p.m., January 24 in the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Board Room.

United Way Board Chairman David Thompson will serve as the master of ceremonies for both events and the featured entertainment will be the Edmond North Orchestra String Quartet.  The Snowflake Gala program will begin with an overview of the year by Thompson, including United Way’s role in the disaster recovery efforts of the May storms. He will set the stage for a special video to be shown in appreciation to those who donated their time and monies to the disaster relief efforts to help set impacted communities on the path to recovery.

2013 United Way of Central Oklahoma Campaign Co-Chairs Bruce and Donna Lawrence will announce the grand total of monies raised through the annual fundraising campaign. They will be joined by Bob Kendrick, chair of the Combined Federal Campaign; Cynthia Cope, Administrative Programs Officer with Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation, representing the State Charitable Campaign; and Assistant City Manager M.T. Berry, chair of the Heart of the City Campaign.

United Way of Central Oklahoma administers six fundraising campaigns that contribute to the overall goal. Included in the fund drive are United Way of Central Oklahoma, United Way of Canadian County, United Way of Logan County, the Combined Federal Campaign, the State Charitable Campaign and the Heart of the City Campaign.

“We are grateful to the thousands of donors who continue to support United Way, the Combined Federal Campaign, the State Charitable Campaign, and the Heart of the City Campaign.  Our most vulnerable citizens depend upon them every day to receive the social services administered by United Partner Agencies,” states United Way of Central Oklahoma’s President and CEO Debby Hampton. “When donors give to the annual campaign, it positions our Partner Agencies ready to respond when disaster strikes – we just can’t thank them enough for their support!”

Dollars raised through the United Way of Central Oklahoma campaign will support 126 programs administered by a network of 60 local Partner Agencies meeting the needs of thousands of central Oklahomans each year. All programs are reviewed annually by donor volunteers to ensure contributions are properly invested with the highest level of accountability.

About United Way of Central Oklahoma
United Way of Central Oklahoma researches human needs within the communities of central Oklahoma and directs resources to accountable health and human services agencies to meet those needs by improving the health, safety, education and economic well-being of its most vulnerable citizens. For more information about United Way of Central Oklahoma, please visit www.unitedwayokc.org or call (405) 236-8441.