Goal surpassed

A local philanthropic organization didn’t only reach its goal this year.

It surpassed it.

And it did so without the help of outside grant funding.

United Way of Jay County during a small ceremony Wednesday evening announced that its 2023-24 annual campaign brought in $158,148, well surpassing the campaign goal of $140,000.

The organization also gave out various awards at the event.

United Way of Jay County executive director Jane Ann Runyon announced the campaign total, which  exceeded the goal by nearly 13%. The campaign came entirely from local donations without the help of any outside grants, she said.

“We haven’t done that in a long time,” said Runyon. “I was excited. … I was tickled.”

She noted the more than $13,000 brought in through the inaugural Splashin' with a Passion: Peggy's Plunge and a successful employee campaign through FCC (Indiana).

Those efforts were recognized with awards, with Portland Fire Department — it organized Peggy’s Plunge in February — earning the Greg and Marianne Moser Volunteer of the Year Award and FCC receiving the Lee G. Hall Beneficence Award.

“The Plunge was in honor of Peggy Atkinson, a long-time supporter of Jay County Special Olympics and turned out to be a major fundraiser for the 2023 campaign,” said Runyon.

“FCC came through with an employee that I didn’t even know they were doing,” she added. “And that really pushed us over.”

West Jay Elementary School was the leading school in pledge dollars per student at $5.47 for a total of $5,854. It marked the fourth year in a row that the school has led the effort.

United Way of Jay County board member and Portland Fire Chief Mike Weitzel was also honored with the Vicki Tague Community Impact Award.

“Mike Weitzel is so deserving of this award because he has given so much to the United Way and to many other organizations and events in our community,” Runyon said, noting his six years of service to the board, including as president. “He has never turned down a request for help with anything that has needed to be done.”

Traci Gross was the campaign chair for the 2023-24 campaign and was the service organization chair. (She plans to chair the 2024-25 campaign as well, Runyon said.) Division chairs for the campaign were Rex Pinkerton (education), Jeff Hall (professional), Jeanna Ford (small business), Mark Tillman (agriculture), Pam and Pat Bennett (leadership), Monica Goble (health care), Mike Weitzel and Patrick Wells (government) and Cindy Denney (special events).

Also at Wednesday’s event, the United Way of Jay County board of directors honored outgoing board members Tami Vormohr and Weitzel. Current board members are Patrick Wells (president), Annie Simmons (vice president), Monica Goble (secretary), Emily Richards (treasurer), Rick Gibson, Kathy Lawrence and Brad Stultz.