By Tom Blakey
Transcript Staff Writer
With almost as much fanfare as surrounded the space
shuttle’s blast-off from Cape Canaveral a few hours earlier, more than 150
representatives of 31 local businesses gathered in the Norman Regional Hospital
Education Center at noon Tuesday to launch the annual United Way of Norman
Pacesetter campaign.
The “take off” had an aviation theme in honor of special guest speaker Lindy Ritz, director of the FAA Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center.
“Welcome to the Pacesetter take-off,” Ritz
announced. “The goal is lofty, but it’s attainable with hard work and a lot of
heart.”
The goal of the Pacesetter companies is to raise
$950,000 for the United Way of Norman between now and Sept 9, organizers
announced. Pacesetters serves as a prelude to the community campaign, which
begins Sept. 9, with an overall fundraising goal of $1.9 million.
The United Way of Norman is a fundraising agent for
local social service agencies, with the money used to help meet residents’
health and human-care needs. Additionally, the United Way of Norman assists the
social agencies in planning and providing services to the community.
“We are so excited to officially start this year’s
campaign,” said 2005 Campaign Chairwoman Kim Jackson. “Our volunteers, along
with the business leaders in the community, are ready to make a difference in
Norman.”
The Pacesetter companies are businesses that commit
to raising money for the United Way of Norman through employee drives, gifts
and other avenues. Fundraising efforts within the individual businesses include
silent auctions, cookouts, dunk tanks, pancake breakfasts, pie-in-the-face
elections and days off for payroll deductions.
Jackson said the Pacesetter portion of the campaign
will set the tone for the rest of the fund drive.
“We are raising money for 30 excellent agencies that
serve our very own community,” Jackson said. “We are ready for a great
campaign, especially with our Pacesetters.”
The 30 Pacesetter companies participating in this
year’s campaign include Arvest Bank; Astellas Pharma Technologies; BancFirst;
Bank of Oklahoma; Bob Usry & Sons Plumbing; City of Norman, Dillard Group;
Ferguson Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Inc.; First American Bank; First Bank &
Trust, First Fidelity Bank; Harris-Orkand; Hitachi; Ideal Homes; International
Land Services; Moore-Norman Technology Center; Murrell, Hall, McIntosh &
Co.; Norman Cellular; Norman Regional Hospital; The Norman Transcript; OG&E
ONG; Republic Bank & Trust; Reynolds Ford; SBC; Service Experts; Target;
East Side Wal-Mart; West Side Wal-Mart; and York International.
Ed Copelin, Kevin Hopper and Scott Martin are
serving as the chairs of the 2005 Pacesetter Campaign.
For more information about the United Way of Norman or
any of its 30 agencies, call the United Way Helpline at 364-3800.