$60K Union County goal for Community Council Campaign reached

Left to right: Andy Williams, Union County Chairman, "Partners in Service" Campaign; Lou Ann Bleakley, 2006-7 Community Council Chairman; Joe Garner, Superintendent, GMRE Center.

The $60,000 Union County goal in support of the "Partners in Service" Campaign of the Community Council of the GMRE Center has been reached, with $62,500 committed. The announcement was made by Andy Williams, Union County Campaign Chairman.

"I am very grateful to the friends of the Community Council in Union County for their generous support of the work of the Council. The success of the campaign is tangible endorsement of the programs and activities which benefit so many in Union County. And I want to acknowledge the great work of the Vice Chairmen, Marty Godfrey, Michelle Rowe, Rusty Royston and Kurtis Underwood, and their twenty-one Steering Committee Members who were enthusiastic and effective advocates in the campaign. They led by example with their commitments of time, influence and financial support. It was a pleasure to work with them, the Community Council and the GMRE Center staff, "said Williams.

Lou Ann Bleakley, the 2006-07 Chairman of the Council, said, "The success of the campaign in Union County is a tribute to the outstanding leadership of Andy and his organization of community leaders. The Community Council and the GMRE Center staff appreciate the partnership of these friends and other generous donors in support of our efforts to serve Union County and the region. We are pleased to report that in the recently concluded academic year we served 2,700 students, 1,200 of them from Union County. Over 900 adults benefited from our seminars and workshops. Union County is also well represented on our Preservation Committee which conducted six projects during the year including the exciting Plant Rescue Project."

Joe Garner, Superintendent of the GMRE Center, said, "It is very satisfying to see the community and the Council working so well together to expand the services of the Center to the region. Last year over 200 volunteers helped the Council with its programs and projects. In its three years of operation, the Council has served over 9,600 students and adults. That is an impressive record."

Gifts to the "Partners in Service" Campaign are funding the Council's operation for the 2007-08 academic year which began on July 1. In its fourth year of service, the Council is operating on a $75,000 budget. Region-wide support of the Campaign totaled $78,000.