Thanks to United Way help

To the editor: Thank you to all participants in the 2010 United Way campaign! With your help, weraised $202,082 — 97 percent of our goal! This year we had a great opportunity to  go for a matching grant sponsored by Eli Lilly and through the commitment of our cabinet members and citizens of Jay County we were able to qualify for the entire grant of $15,000. That makes our grand total $217,082 surpassing our campaign goal by $9,082!
Still facing a tough economic climate the citizens and businesses of Jay County were able to rise to the occasion and make the 2010 Campaign a huge success. With these contributions, the citizens of Jay County will benefit through the services of our 18 member agencies, 20 separate programs and other not-for-profit agencies who will receive special grants throughout 2011.
We would like to thank our campaign cabinet team. These are the persons who chaired or co-chaired the divisions of the campaign to solicit industries, small businesses, school corporation employees, retirees and students, individuals and other non-profit organizations throughout Jay County. They are:
Commerce/Professional – Mark Clemens and Josh Gibson; Industry – Carl Ronald; Small Business – Cindy Denney and Rose Morgan; Direct Mail – Deb Tipton; Agriculture – Carl Walker; Service Organizations – Bill Bradley and Jodi Scott; Education - Dr. Tim Long , Phil Ford and Linda Selvey; Government – Randy Geesaman; Healthcare – Jerry Bozell and the newest division Restaurant- Dean Inman.
Thanks also to Laurette Horn, our Communications chairperson; Jennifer Inman – Board of Director Liaison and Leadership Giving chairpersons John and Diane Coldren.
These chairpersons recruited many other volunteers to help them and we need to thank them as well.
This year’s success was also due to this community’s media outlets: The Commercial Review and WPGW/J-Country 101. The Commercial Review promoted the United Way campaign with insert wrappers and campaign coverage while WPGW dedicated radio time for announcing Small Business Blitz participants on October 7th and hosted the 3rd Annual United Way Radio Day on November 16th. A special thank you to both. Your dedication and commitment to the Jay County community is truly appreciated.
Finally, we would like to thank Jane Ann Runyon, the United Way Executive Director, for her hard work.
All of these things contributed to this year’s campaign success.
Thank you again and continue to LIVE UNITED.
April Wallischeck
and Don Denney
Campaign Co-chairs
for the 2010
United Way campaign

Please return
To the editor:
It was bad enough my son and his family lost use of a vehicle due to the flooding in Portland — specifically in Oakwood Mobile Home Park — but to compound the problem, my 3-year-old grandchild lost her sandbox.  
Motel 8 and Jay Products were good enough to call the park and let them know it was there.  
However, before I could go get it for her, someone went on private property and took property that did not belong to them.
To me, that is theft.
If they want to return the item to the rightful owner, they can take it to the office at the front of the mobile home park and let the manager know to notify Christy.
 It was a Little Tykes sandbox dino/turtle type.  I do hope the person will do the right thing and return it to her.  She really loved that sandbox!
Geri Irwin
Pennville[[In-content Ad]]