According to Randy Kramer, "You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!".

Wednesday, September 13, 2000

According to Randy Kramer, "You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!"

The president of the United Way of Mower County’s board of directors announced a $625,000 goal for this year’s fund drive.

If successful, it would mark the 21st consecutive year in which the local United Way fund drive has met or surpassed its goal.

The 2000 campaign was lunched Tuesday with a kickoff luncheon at the Holiday Inn of Austin.

Kramer said events of the past summer show where the United Way can help.

"In just the last year, we have seen why this is so important with the summertime flooding," Kramer said.

Kramer called the outpouring of assistance and support from the Mower County chapter of the American Red Cross and Salvation Army Austin Corps, both United Way agencies, a "public example of what United Way is all about."

Jerry Adwell is this year’s campaign chairman and he boldly predicted success for the campaign. How will that be done? Adwell said the process began three months ago when the agency’s division and section leaders met to plan the fall fund drive.

Adwell said the campaign’s success would be chronicled at three report meetings, the first scheduled for Oct. 3.

Then, Adwell introduced division leaders Kris Johnson and Bill Snyder, who, in turn, introduced section leaders.

Each division leader also predicted success for their own division’s members in raising the most money.

For the third straight year, Erin Conners and Dan Ruiter, KAAL Region Six News anchors, and Duane Germain and Dan Conradt, KAUS AM-FM radio personalities, made a "side-bet" as to which division will be most successful.

Conners and Ruiter are in Snyder’s division and Germain and Conradt are in Johnson’s division.

Whichever division raises the most money for United Way, that division’s pair of celebrities will have to serve the other pair dinner at center court at OakPark Mall in Austin, when the campaign concludes.

For the last two years, the team of Conners and Ruiter has won.

Adwell also announced new videos are available to make United Way presentations to explain how contributions benefit 27 different charities.

This year, the videos are available in both English and Spanish, according to Adwell.

Once again, thermometers will track the progress of the campaign from prominent locations throughout the community.

Last year’s campaign goal was $600,000 and dollars raised exceeded the $647,234 or 108 percent of goal mark.