UNITED WAY: Nearly 100 local companies to be honored May 1

They are the best of the best.

Each year, Middlesex United Way recognizes about 100 companies and a handful of individuals who LIVE UNITED and show extraordinary support for Middlesex County through their top-notch Middlesex United Way campaigns.  

We will honor them in just a few weeks at the annual Campaign Awards Breakfast on May 1 at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell.  

Receiving the top award this year is Middletown Public Schools and their campaign coordinator extraordinaire Donna Marino. Donna recruited a volunteer building captain at each school and rallied the troops through the district to get everyone excited about the campaign. They had a 43 percent increase in giving and a 30 percent increase in employee participation. Wesley School knocked it out of the park with 98 percent employee participation in the campaign, and Macdonough School’s rate grew by 75 percent from last year. Middletown Public Schools is a wonderful United Way partner year round, showing us all what it means to give, advocate, volunteer and LIVE UNITED. They hosted several United Way Day of Caring volunteer projects this year, allowing employees from local companies to volunteer in the schools, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Pat Charles, a wonderful United Way ambassador, serves on our Board of Directors.  

Chief William McKenna of the Middletown Police Department and Chandler Howard, president and CEO of Liberty Bank will both be honored with Leadership Awards, recognizing a CEO or president of an organization who exemplifies philanthropic leadership through support of the United Way campaign. Liberty Bank has a long history of running successful United Way campaigns and supporting Day of Caring, and the Middletown Police Department is a newer campaign beginning a wonderful partnership with Middlesex United Way. It’s inspiring to see them both embrace United Way and the community in new and different ways. And we love that they are both neighbors. We can see them both from our office!  

This year’s Coordinators of the Year are Bill Burmeister and Jim Santacroce of Middlesex Hospital. It was their first year coordinating a Middlesex United Way campaign, and they were a fantastic team. Generous United Way supporters Welles and Lillian Guilmartin of Middletown will be honored with the Tocqueville Society Philanthropy Award for their role in inspiring philanthropy. ATD/Wireless Zone, CL&P/Yankee Gas, Mahoney Sabol & Company, Pratt & Whitney-Middletown, Seasons Federal Credit Union and Tower Labs will all receive Special Achievement Awards.  

And there is much more.  

I guess you will have to come to the Campaign Awards Breakfast on May 1 to see what I mean.   Breakfast is at 8 a.m. and the program begins at 8:30. We’d love for you to join us. It’s free but we ask that you RSVP to info@middlesexunitedway.org or www.middlesexunitedway.org/RSVP.    

LIVE UNITED.  

Kevin Wilhelm is the executive director of Middlesex United Way.