IBEW Local Unions 1600 and 1522 honored for contributions to Lehigh Valley United Way

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b3_4uwjan28,0,3210059.story?coll=all-newslocal-hed




It's a wrap: United Way raised $11.2 million

Local group surpassed its 2003 fund-raising goal by $121,117.
By Bill Tattersall, Of The Morning Call


Keeping the audience in suspense until the end of the Wrap-Up party Tuesday night, Martin Till, president and publisher of the Express-Times newspaper and chairman of the 2003 Lehigh Valley United Way fund-raising campaign, finally announced that the group raised $11.2 million in 2003.

Exceeding the goal by $121,117 ended a campaign that Till said was streamlined to allow volunteers to be used more productively.

This year, rather than shouting out the total over a drumroll at the annual party held in Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University, the campaign executives held cards that on one side read ''United Way!'' and when flipped over, showed the amount raised.

Tuesday night's snowstorm kept many from attending the party, leaving many of the seats empty and awards unclaimed.

The announcement ended a two-year streak of the agency failing to make its goals. The 2001 campaign fell $500,000 short — the first shortfall since the Lehigh Valley chapter was formed in 1991. It tried to meet the goal by extending the campaign a month, but in the end, recipients of United Way money took a 13.5 percent average cut from the prior year.

In 2002, the campaign fell $300,000 short. But the agency postponed the announcement at the wrap-up party for several months while companies that delayed campaigns becuase of a slow economy tried to meet their goals.

Part of the success of this year's campaign, Till said, was increasing the donation base by adding 13 new workplaces and encouraging 20 campaigns to increase their giving by at least $10,000.

The top five Cornerstone Society accounts for 2003 are: Air Products and Chemicals Inc. and IAM Local 917, $1.4 million; PPL Corp. and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1600, $935,000; Agere Systems and IBEW Local 1522, $325,000; Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, $301,000; and Victaulic Co. of America, United Steelworkers of America Local 2599 and Teamsters Local 773, $295,000. Cornerstone members are companies or organizations that donate more than $100,000 annually.

United Way President Peter Carpino also introduced two new Cornerstone Society members on Tuesday — Giant Food Stores and St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network.

The United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley 2003 campaign awards and their recipients are:

Rising Star Award: Joanne Meck, Megan Luhrs and Colleen Ray of A-Tech/Suburban Inc.; Rebecca Oettinger of B. Braun Medical Inc.; Debra Smith of Day-Timers Inc.; Jennifer Martin-Gilio of LifePath; Bruce George, Genavee Johh, Rudolph Schweizer and Paul Seifert of TriQuint Optoelectronics; Gregg Potter from Verizon Call Center and Communications Workers of America Local 13500.

Campaign Excellence Award: Agere Systems and IBEW Local 1522; David Bond, Bon-Ton Distribution Center; Bon-Ton, Robert Houck of Allentown, Lori Kressler of Trexlertown, Kathleen Riepensell of Westgate Mall, Amy Weiner of Palmer Park Mall, Chad Nemeth, regional store coordinator; Erica Bernhard, Pat Taylor and Margi Currie of Brown & Brown; Judy Casamassa of CIGNA, Bethlehem; FlexLink Systems Inc.; GE Polymershapes Insulgard; Gary Evans and Jay Martin of Lafayette College; Betty Anton and Don Hougendobler of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network; Frank Kustek of Liberty Mutual; Scott Hallet and at Nestle Purina Pet Care Co.; Diana Holvo, Kathy Kapcsos, Tammy Tucker Mehlig, Melissa Starace and Rita Straub, Northampton Community College, American Federation of Teachers Local 3579 and IBT Local 773; Fred Acheampong, Sam's Club-Whitehall; Donna DiVentura and Beth Merwath, Sam's Club, Easton; Esther Buss and Barry Wentzel, UGI Utilities Inc. and IBEW Local 1456; Wal-Mart, Darlene D'Alessandro of Easton, Peggy Gencarelli of Bethlehem, Gail Nothstein of Trexlertown, and Colleen Webster of Whitehall.

Morning Call Silver Bowl: Marty Cohen of Cohen & Feeley.

Morning Call Silver Tray: TriQuint Optoelectronics.

Weld Bowl: Leah Nichols, Rodale Inc.

Labor Campaign Excellence Award: Bethlehem Education Association.

Heritage Award: Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital.

President's Award: Brown-Daub Dealerships.

Chairman's Award: Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of the Lehigh Valley.

Community Caring Awards: Agere Systems and IBEW Local 1522; Air Products and IAM Local 917; B. Braun Medical Inc.; BEF Corp.; Brown & Brown of the Lehigh Valley; Brown-Daub Dealerships; Computer Aid Inc.; The Express-Times; Giant Food Stores; The Guardian; Lehigh, Northampton, Pike and Monroe Counties Building and Construction Trades Council and Affiliated Unions; Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network; Lutron Electronics Co. Inc.; Mallinckrodt Baker Inc. and PACE Local 2-0729; PPL Corp. and IBEW Local 1600; Rodale Inc.; St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network; TriQuint Optoelectronics; Verizon and CWA Local 13500; Wegmans Food Markets of the Lehigh Valley.



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