Archive: Around Town

United Way of Tompkins County Campaign Co-Chairs, Dr. Rob Mackenzie, President & CEO of Cayuga Medical Center and Jean McPheeters, President of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, hosted a special Campaign Committee Meeting at Robert Purcell Community Center. The Food Bank of the Southern Tier organized a service project, which had the fifty-five volunteers and guests packing 220 backpacks to be distributed as part of the BackPack Program.

United Way funded this program, which provides nutritious snacks over the weekends and during school breaks for students in the Newfield and Ithaca City School Districts. Mackenzie and McPheeters announced that the Community Campaign is at 93% of the $2,000,000 goal and based on other gift commitments, the outlook was promising to meet and even exceed this milestone goal by the closing campaign date of March 31st.

Steve Golding, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration at Cornell University, and serving as the Cornell University United Way Campaign Chair, announced that the employees had once again given generously and exceeded their $700,000 campus goal, with donations totaling $784,882 to date.

In addition, Cornell University has made a three-year commitment to be a Corporate Cornerstone Partner. A select group of local businesses and Cornell University have stepped forward to support the Corporate Cornerstone Program, which funds United Way's overall administrative expenses, allowing more of the individuals and other corporate donors' gifts to directly support health and human service programs throughout the county.

Jonathan Feldman, Cornell University Student and United Way volunteer, has been instrumental in organizing several successful fund raising events on campus, all to benefit United Way. Today, Jonathan had the pleasure of announcing his newest initiative, the Stephen E. Garner Summers of Service Scholarship. This initiative, funded by donors' gifts, will provide summer internships for local high school students at one or more of United Way's 43 member organizations.

Stephen E. Garner was President & CEO of Tompkins Trust Company and served as United Way's Campaign Chair in 2004 and Board Chair in 2006 before his untimely passing in May 2006. "Steve believed in making our community a stronger and healthier place for all who live and work here. He was instrumental in bringing about numerous positive changes that will continue to benefit the residents of Tompkins County," stated James Brown, President of UWTC. The annual internships will give high school students the opportunity to learn firsthand about the health and human service sector in Tompkins County. Feldman had the honor of naming the first Stephen E. Garner Summers of Service Scholarship in honor of Gary Stewart, Assistant Director of Community Relations at Cornell University, and the impetus behind many of Jonathan's ideas and efforts during his Cornell experience.

In closing, Campaign Co-Chairs McPheeters and Mackenzie thanked the community for its generous support and recognized the outstanding efforts of Jonathan Feldman and the students from Cornell University.

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