Cindi Dixon and Kevin Austin unveil the donated print created and donated by Cindy Austin for this year’s United Fund donors. Any donor that gave at least $100 will receive a copy of the print.
The Yadkin County United Fund held its annual breakfast and report to the people on May 3. Cindi Dixon, the county organization’s executive director, reported that the fund saw a record year bringing in $347,870.
“We had a tremendous and extraordinary campaign this year,” Dixon said. “It’s the most that we have raised in my eight years with the United Fund. We have slowly been making progress. We don’t want this campaign to be the peak, we want to keep climbing.”
The United Fund is a non-profit organization that raises money to be redistributed back into the local needs of each county.
“The United Fund and United Way wants to make sure that the dollars are being used in the most efficient and effective manner. The first year I was here we allocated $224,000, that grew to $236,000 to $240,000 and for the past three years we’ve allocated $250,000,” Dixon said. “This year we’re going to allocate $260,000. That’s money that’s working in Yadkin County.”
Dixon said that this year’s star donors were PVH and the Yadkin County School System.
PVH has been a leader in donations for the past two years. Dixon said the company was able to raised nearly $30,000 from employee donations alone for the past two years and the company matched that donation by 50 percent.
Dixon said that before PVH was the reining champion among donors the Yadkin County School System held the title. Donations slacked off the past few years but in 2013 Dixon and Superintendent Dr. Stewart Hobbs worked together to get the schools involved once more.
They started an incentive program with a goal for each employee to donated $2 a month. If a large enough percentage of the school staff met the goal they were given a cash card for the school to purchase supplies with.
Dixon said that Yadkin Success Academy staff had 100 percent participation, Forbush High Schools increased staff giving by 38 percent and Starmount increased their participation by 28 percent.
Dixon said that United Fund had 225 new donors in 2013. She reported that 48 individual donors gave at least $300, 15 individuals gave at least $500 and five individuals gave at least $1,000.
This year’s corporate donors were Austin Electrical Enclosures, BB&T, Capital Bank, Duke Energy Foundation, E.H. Barter Charitable Trust, Gentry Family Funeral Services, Indera Mills, PVH, Suntrust, Workforce Carolina, Yadkin Valley Bank and Yadtel.
This year’s small business donors were James Williams and Company, Moore-Moxley Insurance, Valley Custom Vinyl, Walden Associates and Yadkin Valley Bank.
The fund’s “New Donor” award went to Benjamin Roberts from Jonesville Elementary School. He was given a $100 gift card.
The fund’s “110 Percent Club” award for those who donated at least 10 percent more than last year was given to Lynn Gordon from PVH. She was given a $200 gift card.
The “Fair Share” award for those who gave at least one and a half times their hourly rate of pay per month was given to Debbie Reavis of PVH. She was given a $250 gift card.
The fund’s “$300+” award for those who have at least $300 or more was given to Ray Parker, an individual community donor. Parker won a two-night accommodation in Pigeon Forge with two tickets to “Dixie Stampede” and two meals at The Old Mill Restaurant.
Artist Cindy Austin donated a print to all donors who gave at least $100.
“Cindy has been really good to paint Yadkin County scenes for us,” Dixon said. “Maybe not always scenes that we recognize but something that she has seen out in the wild and taken a picture of.”
This year Austin created and donated a piece called “Fresh Tracks.”
“When she sent me a picture of this by email a few weeks ago I was so excited,” Dixon said. “I just think it’s a gorgeous painting of our Yadkin County turkey neighbors.”
Dixon said that Austin plans to take next year off and that Yadkin County United Fund is looking for an artist who would like to donate prints for next year’s annual report and breakfast.
Reach Lindsay Craven at 679-2341 or at lcraven@civitasmedia.com.
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