Monday, September 14, 2009

Live United at Heartland AEA

The Agency’s Events Committee has many fun things planned for our annual United Way campaign, and we will have ways for your donations to stay in your community.

There are five United Way offices in our regions: United Way of Central Iowa, United Way of Story County, United Way of Carroll County, United Way of Jasper County and Marion County United Way. For each of the activities we’ll tell you how you can designate where you want your contributions to go.

Activities begin at this week’s regional meetings on September 17 where for a $5 contribution you can wear your favorite college or school shirt. Please make sure you know a fight song or school song that you can sing that day! Wonder which school will win the most shirts that day?? This activity will continue for the Central Office Professional Development meeting on September 21 and the Operations Meeting on September 22 with the same challenge. Please write a check for the $5 and put in the memo section of the check which United Way you want the money to go to. Regional secretaries will collect the money and send into the Johnston office c/o Brenda Gustafson, Events Committee.


Our pledge campaign will run for the month of October. Pledge forms will be sent out to the different offices to be distributed. Although our campaign runs in October, this year you have until December 31, 2010, to complete your pledge amount. Deductions will start in January to December. You can designate on your pledge form where you want the money to go whether it is to United Way, a specific area or a specific organization. Please send your pledge card back signed even if you do not choose to participate.


There will be two prizes that are directly related to the pledge forms:

1. The region with the largest percentage of participation will have senior management serve breakfast/lunch at their next regional meeting.

2. We will be giving casual day stickers for specific pledges. You will receive printed stickers with the Heartland Cares mark and individuals can choose the day they would like to wear casual clothes (make sure the day is ok with your supervisor). The more you give the more stickers you receive.

$5 - one sticker
$10 - two stickers

$25 - three stickers

$50 - four stickers

$100 - five stickers


Finally, our big event, the Silent Auction

You’ve read in a past Connection and in the HeartBeat about the silent auction we will be holding. Everyone will be able to donate one item or go together with co-workers to submit a group item. Items can be anything you have around your home that you’re willing to part with (excluding clothing). You can get together with co-workers and put together a spa, movie night or football game gift basket or dream up something creative and offer to cook for a dinner party or clean someone’s home. Feel free to go together with your team, co-worker or just another friend.


Please send a write up to the Communications Department e-mail at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us that includes an approximate value and a photo of the item you’re donating. If you don’t know how to upload your photo, just indicate that on your write up and we’ll get a photo at the warehouse. Items then need to be clearly marked with your name, United Way Auction and sent to the warehouse via your van for inventory or taken to the dock at 6500 Corporate Drive to be delivered to the warehouse. You will receive a receipt that can be used for tax purposes.


We will have a "site" established on the Internet for rollout on October 5. This auction works a little different than some auctions. You will place a bid for an item but you will not know if you gave the highest bid until we unveil the “winner” of each item.


Everyone can bid for two weeks (14 days or until October 16). We will announce the winners of each item in the October 26 Staff Connection. Items will be sent to you through the van mail after you have sent your money to Claire Spellman, Communications Administrative Assistant, in Johnston. Items not claimed by the end of the first week will be offered to the second highest bidder. If no bids are made, then the item will be donated to Goodwill.


All events are purely voluntary but will be fun!

No comments:

Post a Comment