In a recent article, business writer Crissa Shoemaker DeBree noted, “[i]n the past year, Bucks’ United Way has become one of the county’s biggest cheerleaders, highlighting the good deeds of its partners and nonprofits throughout the region…And what’s a cheerleader without a pep rally?”
On Friday, May 3, the team at United Way of Bucks County hosted Pep Rally 2013, a sold out breakfast for hundreds of friends, donors, advocates, and volunteers.
There were three big announcements made:
1. UW Bucks is coming back. According to CEO and President Jamie Haddon, after years of declining donations and revenues, UW Bucks ended the year with a 23-percent increase in overall income — led by a 13 percent increase in donations.
2. On Friday, August 9, the agency will be bringing people from all across Bucks County together to fight hunger. The plan is to pack more than 64,000 meals in just a few hours.
3. There is a new category of award: The Multiplier. This award goes to people whose single act creates a big impact.
In addition to the big announcements, a number of awards were given out for Outstanding Partnerships, Youth Engagement, the Martin Luther King Day of Service Essay Contest, and more.
A complete list of awards can be found in Buck United, United Way of Bucks County’s Annual Report and Magazine.
To close the meeting, Jamie Haddon told the crowd, “[w]e need you to think about your impact in Bucks County this year. We need you to think about how you will lead, how you will follow, whether or not you’re ready to dance with us. And we want to know today. On your way out, there are two baskets: One that says I’m in, and one that says I’m out.”
At the end of the day, everyone at the Pep Rally was “in”. We hope you are, too.
Read more about Pep Rally 2013 at Philly Burbs, and stay tuned to UW Bucks at www.uwbucks.org, on facebook, and on twitter. There’s much, much more to come.