‘Stars’ recognized

About 160 people heard how the funds help people in need during the youth monologues at the Stars of Hope appreciation dinner at Centre 2000 on Thursday.

The third annual event recognized donors who helped the organization raise $840,953 during its 2010 campaign.

Terri Ellen Sudnik, a contractor for the organization, said she jumped at the chance to make a difference in a person's life.

"If we can bring awareness to people to donate and to give to the United Way, that their agencies and other recipients of funds are making a difference and how it's impacting society, I think that's a great opportunity for me to give back to the community," she said.

There were five community spirit awards presented Thursday: Devon Fairview received Best First Time Campaign and Ainsworth received the Quantum Leap award. CN Rail won the Rising Star award and Grande Prairie Regional College won Outstanding Campaign Team.

BJ Services won the Leadership award for the third year in a row.

The United Way picks went to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters for the best agency support and LSM for the best special event.

Costco got the Chairman's Award for the best overall campaign.

"The importance of recognizing them is really two-fold," said Gladys Blackmore, the president and executive director of the United Way of Grande Prairie and region.

"It encourages them to keep up their good work and it also attracts the attention of non-participating businesses … because their peer business of such and such is running a campaign and got an award and it's interesting to them."

Currently, there are about 120 businesses that run workplace campaigns for the United Way through various methods such as a payroll deduction, special events or cash donations.

And the dinner helps businesses hear more about the United Way and understand what they do, she added.

The Stars of Hope dinner is not intended to be a fundraiser and they intend to break even with it, she said. But they are expecting that this year they'll have a little extra money, Blackmore added.

"It will go directly to one of our agencies and the board will decide that probably at their next board meeting," she said. "We just have to know what those numbers are first."

And there's been a change in the event from a black-tie event to a business event, which attendees and sponsors have been more receptive to, she said.

Donations for the organization have steadily increased but so has the need, Blackmore said.

"The agencies that we provide funding for … either don't receive government funding at all or they don't receive it for the programs we fund," she said.

"They only have us to come to and their own fundraising efforts within the community.

"When they're fundraising it's taking their time and effort away from what they are supposed to be doing and the services they should be providing."

Kevin Matlock, BJ Services district operations manager, said his boss's passion trickled down to the employees, which is why he thinks the company won.

"Our boss is such a believer in it and he's so passionate about it," said Matlock, representing the three-time winner. "It just brings the whole team together. When we presented to the employees we presented from our heart. We believe in what we're saying."

And he suggests any company to help raise money through payroll deduction.

"It's so easy for somebody to donate $5 or $10 per pay cheque that they'll never miss but if you're to go to that same person and ask for $120 it's a lot different," he said.

Don Gnatiuk, president of GPRC, said payroll deduction is effective but events help too.

"It's not as lucrative, but darn it, it brings people together," he said. "That's because you're doing 50/50 draws and cake things and auctions, but that's what creates the energy, the juice behind the whole thing.

"The two together have to happen and that brings it altogether as one holistic drive."

And this campaign helps the organization too, Gnatiuk said.

"Our staff really embraced what was going on and they got involved and it was really incredible to see how the energy started to swell across the institution and people really enjoyed it," he said.

"It became fun and not only did we do some fundraising it was really good for morale and bringing our institutions together."

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it