United Way of the Pennyrile kicked off its annual fundraising campaign Thursday morning with a Las Vegas theme.
Several local businesses, government agencies and industries have already begun or concluded pace-setter campaigns. Ebonite has already raised $27,000 for United Way, Hopkinsville Electric System employees have donated $25,000, Pennyrile Electric has given $29,000, Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority $19,000 and Planters Bank has contributed $27,000.
Dustin Gilbert and Robin Tabor are campaign co-chairs and Tabor notes that two-thirds of the people living in Christian, Todd, Trigg and Caldwell counties were assisted in some way by a United Way partner agency last year.
This year’s campaign goal is broken down by county—it’s $48,000 in Caldwell County, $775,000 in Christian County, $41,000 in Todd County and $42,000 in Trigg County—bringing the overall total to $906,000.
Tabor says they wanted a fundraising goal for each county to express what’s required to meet the needs of those populations through the partner agencies.
Tabor added up all of the pace-setter campaign totals and other dollars that have rolled in and noted they’ve already brought in just over $200,000.
She noted the reason for the Las Vegas theme—money that’s raised in the Pennyrile stays in the Pennyrile to support the 20 partner agencies.