THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 11, 1994 TAG: 9412090312
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Like a politician on election eve, Ronald H. Williams projected victory for the local United Way campaign last week though the final figures were still being tallied.
Williams, chairman of the 1994 Suffolk drive and the city's treasurer, predicted the campaign would go over this year's goal of $355,000. He popped the cork on a champagne bottle to toast the cabinet members at the victory luncheon.
``We're sitting here today at $349,962,'' he said. ``That's 98.5 percent, and that's a conservative estimate.''
Contributions were still coming in as the volunteers celebrated. And the totals did not include proceeds from sales of souvenir bricks from the recently demolished Planters Peanuts facility.
``We're $5,038 away from 100 percent,'' Williams said. ``We're going to get there. We're going to continue to chip away until we do.''
The drive was a combined effort of all the volunteers who headed various categories, Williams said. He also had relied heavily on the two vice chairs: Linda G. Doland, vice president of Crestar Bank, and Dinesh Tiwari, director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Facilities.
``They were the strength of the campaign,'' he said.
Williams presented an award for outstanding and dedicated service to Mike Matovich, the city cable TV coordinator, for localizing the United Way's promotional film.
``You've got to have somebody who could put it together in a quality way,'' Williams said. ``Otherwise, it would look like a home movie.''
Matovich donated many hours to coordinate the filming on short notice - about three weeks, according to Matovich. But Dana Brown, the city's public information officer, and Bethanne Bradshaw, public affairs director for the city schools, helped with the script, and Brown ``starred'' in the film, Matovich said.
``All I did was bring everybody's things together,'' he said.
``But this year, if you want another video, I need two more weeks,'' he quipped. ``Those three weeks went by fast.''
The overall fund drive was successful despite losses in the major firms category due to downsizing of two companies that had made substantial contributions in previous years, Williams said.
``This is my eighth campaign,'' said Pat Branche, United Way director. ``I've seen it go from $194,000 to $355,000. I've seen the agencies and the support it brings to them. We started out with eight agencies in Suffolk and now we have 20 with a presence here.''
``We are growing,'' she said, ``and you are making a difference.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Mic Matovich, the city cable director, localized a national United
Way ad for the 1994 campaign. He received an award at the victory
luncheon.
Williams
KEYWORDS: UNITED WAY by CNB