Community Responds to Pandemic with Record-Breaking United Way Campaign
To meet critical community needs, donors and partners together raised $18,151,988 through United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s (UWGLV) annual campaign. This represents the largest annual campaign in the organization’s 100+ year history and 11 consecutive years of growth.
“I’d like to thank each and every donor who stepped up to the challenge and all of the partners who remain committed to the cause. We faced unprecedented challenges and great uncertainty this year, but together we have supported the community at a time when it was needed most,” said City Center Investment Corporation President J.B. Reilly, who served as co-chair of the campaign with his wife Kathleen.
“With United Way leadership and your support, we continue to build collaboration and work toward community-wide goals. Because of you, thousands of children, families and older adults right here in the Greater Lehigh Valley will have access to opportunities, resources and services that will help them rebuild and recover,” added Campaign Co-Chair Kathleen Reilly.
United Way announced the 2020 campaign results today during Celebration of Caring, presented by Crayola. More than 14,000 individual donors and 400 partners contributed to the annual campaign. Air Products’ and PPL Corporation’s employees, retirees and corporate foundations each raised more than $4,000,000; City Center Allentown donated more than $1,000,000 including a million-dollar matching gift for all new and increased gifts to the United Way Community Building Fund.
“We are especially grateful to J.B. and Kathleen Reilly for their unwavering support, leadership and generosity as campaign co-chairs. Under their guidance, United Way is able to invest more dollars into the community at a time when it is needed most,” said Paul Hurd, Chief Development Officer, UWGLV.
Contributions made through the annual campaign will support community members’ basic needs through critical services in the areas of education, emergency services, food access and healthy aging.
“During a time of great adversity, I have been heartened to see so many people in our community stand up to offer help and to fight for the health, safety and education of
every person in the Greater Lehigh Valley. United Way could not offer the services and support it does without you,” said UWGLV Board Chair Joanne Raphael, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of PPL Corp.
Valued community partners in sponsorship for this year’s Celebration of Caring include:
Presenting sponsor – Crayola
Gold sponsor – Dual Temp
Silver sponsors – Capital Blue Cross, Highmark Blue Shield, Just Born Quality Confections and ESSA Bank
Pearl sponsor – Riverview Bank
In-kind sponsor – ASR Media Productions