Montville Businesses Honored at United Way Celebration

United Way of Southeastern Connecticut hosted its Campaign Celebration event on March 28 at the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa to recognize local businesses and volunteers that helped to raise $5,720,590. This amount includes more than 250 new United Way contributors, as participation continues to be emphasized by the organization.

The dollars raised in the campaign will advance the common good in New London County by supporting programs that help children thrive, support community wellness, promote independence, and provide basic needs including food and heating assistance.

Several Montville-based companies were honored this year for their fundraising efforts on behalf of United Way including:
• Mohegan Sun received the Corporate Support of the Year Award, recognizing an organization that goes above and beyond through contributing a corporate gift  as well as supporting United Way’s Corporate Benefactor program;

• Mohegan Sun also received the Benefactor of the Year Award, recognizing an organization that helps keep United Way’s administrative costs low, allowing more  donor dollars to be directed local programs that are advancing the common good for all;

• Montville Public Schools received the Distinguished Achievement Award, for achieving an increase in employee giving during the 2012 United Way Campaign;  and

• Teamsters Local 493 and UPS received the Organized Labor Partnership Award, recognizing a Local Labor Union that has rendered outstanding support of  United Way of Southeastern Connecticut by educating their members about the partnership between Organized Labor and United Way year round as well as  being involved in the United Way campaign on all levels.
 
More than a dozen major honors were presented at the event, in addition to those that had been announced to the honorees at an earlier time. The Chairman’s Award of Excellence, United Way’s highest honor for a company, was presented to Electric Boat/Electric Boat Employee Community Services’ Association.

In a pre-recorded message, United Way Board Chair Keith Fontaine of The William W. Backus Hospital reminded the audience that “together, there is nothing we can’t accomplish…together, we are promising to do more than ever before.”

Fontaine also announced that the 2013 United Way Campaign Co-chairs will be Robert Nardone, Vice President of Human Resources at General Dynamics Electric Boat and William Henderson, Communications Workers of America, Local 1598. The 2012 United Way Campaign was co-chaired by Pat Gaffey and Harry Rodriguez.

United Way of Southeastern Connecticut is advancing the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all, focusing on helping children to thrive, providing for basic human needs, and promoting independence and community wellness. United Way recruits people and organizations that bring the passion, expertise, and resources needed to get things done.

United Way of Southeastern Connecticut is a locally-based organization serving the towns of New London County.