'Good hearts' will help United Way reach goal in Thunder Bay, say campaign chairs
Campaign target balances costs of programs versus what United Way expects to raise
The co-chairs of the 2016 United Way fundraising campaign in Thunder Bay say they believe the organization will meet it's goal of raising $2.65 million this year.
Two campaigns in the past three years have fallen short of the target, but Mary McLellan said she's confident people in the city will help them find success this year because "we know they have good hearts."
"I've lived here for five years now, and I've never seen a city like this. It's such a giving community and if you need something people will drop what they're doing and help you," she said.
The annual fundraising goal is a delicate equation, balancing the costs of providing the services people need, versus the donations the United Way expects to receive, said Mike Nitz, adding that one in every three people in Thunder Bay will benefit from the programs funded by the organization.
"We do a number of different things, from newborns to Hospice Northwest, which aids people in their final days, so it runs the gambit," said Nitz, who expects the campaign to succeed this year, for one simple reason.
"Our [fundraising] team is all of Thunder Bay."