
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, September 12, 1995                   TAG: 9509120054
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CAMPAIGN GETS A PEP TALK

WHAT'S A KICKOFF without a football star? Nothing exciting. So United Way launched its campaign gridiron-style.

The United Way of Roanoke Valley kicked off its 1995 football-themed fund-raising campaign Monday with motivational words from a football Hall-of-Famer and $1.2 million in the pot.

Bart Starr, a Super Bowl champion quarterback and later coach with the Green Bay Packers, delivered a pep talk that would rival any pregame huddle.

"You're going to be successful with your campaign," Starr told the estimated 500 campaign volunteers who filled the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center ballroom, decorated in a football theme.

"We are successful in any industry, any business, any endeavor directly related to the people who are involved. If we overlook for one moment that word `people' in any endeavor, forget it. Because that's where it begins."

United Way has set a goal of raising a record $5 million. Already, United Way has broken its record for "pacesetter" contributions, those traditionally made before the official campaign kickoff.

Twenty-six "pacesetter" organizations - corporations, companies and agencies that jump-started the campaign this summer - raised $848,000. Another $341,000 was raised by other early employee campaigns, corporate gifts and personal contributions from members of United Way's board of directors and campaign cabinet.

"I am extremely pleased with the results at this early stage of the campaign and am counting on the rest of the Roanoke Valley to respond with the same generosity and commitment that our pacesetter organizations and volunteers have shown," said Ben Jenkins, chief operating officer of First Union National Bank of Virginia and 1995 campaign chairman.

Last year, United Way raised $4.8 million. That money was spread over more than 70 health and human service programs provided by the 36 United Way partner agencies.

This year's campaign will run through November. The first campaign progress report will be Oct. 16 at Victory Stadium.

by CNB