United Ways of Chautauqua County Campaign Co-Chairs Bill Soffel and Kelly Borrello kick off annual campaign (September 17, 2024)
The United Ways of Chautauqua County have officially kicked off their annual campaign with a goal of $1.8 million.
The north and south county organizations, following a vote in August to merge operations, held a joint kick off in Dunkirk on Monday and in Bemus Point on Tuesday.
The merger is still waiting on final approval from the New York State Attorney General’s office, which could take six to 12 months.
Campaign Co-Chair Bill Soffel said not everyone may have been personally impacted by an agency supported by the United Way, “You probably have a neighbor that has, you may have some family members that have, and, someday, we may be impacted too. So, even if we haven’t been directly impacted there’s a really compelling reason to support the United Way.”
The other co-chair, Kelly Borrello, said she loves how her donation helps go toward a larger impact, “It’s because they give to so many agencies and everybody’s dollars get added together efficiently. So, I love the way they fundraise. That’s what they call it, it doesn’t feel like fundraising. I love the way they gather their funds. I love the way they work with community partners to make sure they’re using the funds properly.”
All funds raised during the United Way campaign remain local and will go toward supporting 34 agencies in Chautauqua County.
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