MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Sunday, November 29, 2009 6:54 am

General Mills employees, like Joe Herrud with the shovel, give to the United Way year-round. Herrud was part of the company’s crew, who built new trails May 29 at Barfield Crescent Park with Girl Scout Troop 1609 on the 2009 Day of Action. TMP/M. Willar

Scarcely a week ago, the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties was only 20 percent toward its goal of raising $2.8 million.

But now, it’s over halfway after a Herculean effort by a few local businesses.

“We’ve had several campaigns come in strong,” explained Brian Hercules, United Way president, adding State Farm, Publix, Heritage Dairies and General Mills all gave a huge boost to this year’s campaign.

And the charity is still looking forward to campaigns from Nissan, Rutherford County government and Rutherford County Schools to come in before the campaign ends in mid-January.

“We’re halfway, and I feel good about that,” he said, noting the campaign has raised $1,508,033.35, which is 53.9 percent of the way to reaching $2.8 million.

A large chuck of the donations has come from a single source – General Mills’ Murfreesboro plant.

More than 800 employees have raised $555,808.72 so far, and the figures aren’t final yet, said Joanne O’Connell, General Mills’ internal campaign manager, who organizes incentives and other programs to promote donating.

“We also have very caring employees,” she said. “We’ve been very lucky this year so we were giving.”

O’Connell said the culture at General Mills, as a corporation, promotes giving to the United Way.

“It’s the one large charity that we really endorse,” she said, which explains why the company is the No. 1 donor to the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties.

She said the company’s focus on a single charity helps employees give more.

“We don’t try to nickel and dime our employees,” she said. “This is a once a year thing.”

Another company that comes in big for the United Way every year is State Farm and this year is no different.

More than $100,000 of the $1.5 million raised so far came from State Farm’s Murfreesboro campus.

“We raised more than we’ve ever raised this year,” said Bonnie Mitchell, State Farm’s Campaign chairwoman and a learning development specialist with the insurance company.

The campaign exceeded State Farm’s goal by getting employees involved with fun activities, like a jail and bail, penny wars, chili cook off and a parking space raffle.

“We also did a pie in the face where you can throw a pie in one of the leader’s faces,” she said with a laugh.

But it was educating the employees about the United Way’s mission that made the biggest difference.

“We had over 50 campaign meetings throughout the building,” Mitchell said. “We had a lot of education going about the United Way that really helped us surpass our goal this year.”

Employees learned that since 1956, the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties has worked to improve the community by supporting 45 partner agencies that make a difference in lives.

The organization focuses on four key areas – education, health, income and rebuilding lives.

Last year the United Way provided services to almost 93,000 people in Rutherford and Cannon counties through partner agencies and its own initiatives.

It’s the generosity of companies like General Mills and State Farm that keep the United Way running from year to year and helping partner agencies, Hercules said.

“With local businesses and the community working together as a team, our ability to impact the community gets greater and greater,” Ke said.

He reminded it’s not too late for companies to start a campaign or for individuals to contribute.

“If you want to run a campaign we can,” he said, adding individual donors can visit uwrutherford.org or the organization’s office in the First Bank building on Memorial Boulevard to make a donation.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.

More info …
United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties
uwrutherford.org
615-893-7303