Register your team for Day of Caring April 17
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This
year's Day of Caring Coordinator Guide will
be in your hands the week of March 10. Information and project registration
will also be available online the second week of March at www.unitedwayfortsmith.org.
"This
site will be updated as volunteers are signed up," noted Fowler.
"This will make project selection more convenient for volunteers,
specifically those in groups. In addition to projects being submitted by
United Way Community Partners, this year we are partnering with the cities
of Booneville, Charleston,
Ozark and Van Buren and schools in Booneville."
Your first step is to name a
Day of Caring Coordinator. Simply fill in the form on the back page of the
Coordinator Guide and fax it to 479-782-3505, or e-mail
sarah.fowler@unitedway.org
by Friday, March 28.
Seventy
three projects are available this year with more than 500 volunteers needed
to complete them. All volunteers will receive a free Day of Caring t-shirt.
There will be a 7:30 am Kickoff
breakfast in Fort Smith at the River Park
Amphitheater; a 7:30 am Kickoff breakfast at the Bearcat Restaurant in
Booneville; a 7:30 Kickoff breakfast and noon lunch in Ozark at the North Franklin
County Fair
Building and noon lunch at the
Boys & Girls Club of Sequoyah County in Sallisaw, OK.
If you have questions, call Sarah
Fowler at the United Way
office, 479-782-1311.
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The impact of
giving to United Way
- Partnership with Cox Communications
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 Saturday, April 26,
at Fort Smith
Park off Clayton
Expressway, Cox Communications is hosting a crawfish boil and
gumbo/jambalaya cook-off. Proceeds from the cook-off will benefit United Way, Mt.
Magazine Girl Scouts, Westark Council Boy Scouts and Community Services
Clearinghouse.
Tickets
provide admission, access to contestant samples and all you can eat
crawfish from 4:30 - 7:30 pm. Ticket prices are $10 adult, $5
child (12 and under) or $25 family. In addition to sampling all
the entries, a children's area will be set-up with games and crafts.
Teams can
enter the contest in one of four divisions:
- Corporate ($100
entry fee) is any team representing a corporation or company.
- Professional
($100 entry fee) is culinary individuals or teams of restaurateurs or
caterers.
- Civic/Non-profit
($50 entry fee) is any team representing civic or non-profit group.
- Amateur ($25
entry fee) is for any person or team who is not a culinary
professional and does not qualify in another category.
The entry fee covers one team and one
food item entered. The cooking will begin around 8:30 am. All teams may
include up to five people. All cook-off participants must provide
their own supplies and a minimum of three gallons of food product per
category entered. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in
each category.
Companies are being asked to
sponsor the event with three levels of sponsorship - Hot, Medium and
Mild. Each will include tickets to the event, TV promotions and event
recognition.
For
more information call (479) 573-2250, e-mail coxcreolecookoff@cox.com
or visit www.cox.net.
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Early events start campaign
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 Arvest Valentine Cookie Sales
More than $200 was raised for United Way
by employees of Arvest's Risk Management Department. Leading up
to Valentine's Day, they took orders for cookies and sold them for $2 -
$2.50 each. The cookies included decorated hearts, lips,
Valentine greetings (Kiss Me, Be Mine, etc.) and personalized hearts that
could have individual names or sayings. The cookies were
delivered February 13.
Panera Bread Day
Panera
Bread partnered with United
Way to schedule United Way Day at the
bread store on February 21 from 7a.m. - 1 p.m. Staff and
volunteers manned a booth and sold more than 30 United Way tumblers. (We have more
if you would like to buy one. They hold 16 oz. and cost $10.)
Ten percent of United Way supporters' sales amounted
to more than $250. In addition, children were enrolled in Imagination
Library and money was collected for program sponsorships.
Winner of
the drawing held for the tea basket was Kathy Hester of Hartford. A special thanks to YLG
volunteers for helping and to Panera Bread for hosting the event
and donating the gift basket.
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Upcoming Events
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 March 15 - Easter Egg Hunt for handicapped children and adults, The Arc for
the River Valley will host the easter Egg Hunt
at Columbus Acres beginning at 1 p.m.. Assistance will be provided for
children and adults in wheelchairs and walkers. There will be prizes, candy
and tons of fun. You are asked to bring a bag or basket to transfer goodies
into so the plastic eggs can be reused for next year's Easter Egg Hunt. For
more information, call the Arc office, 479-783-5529, Monday - Friday
from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
March
27-
Educational
Roundtable Series, Young Leadership Group (YLG), The first Roundtable of the year will be at Janet Huckabee Arkansas River
Valley Nature
Center (8300 Wells Lake Road)
from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Come at your convenience, learn about and tour
the center; buffet will be at noon. Call Brittany at 782-1311 with your
reservation. (YLG members are those who are under 45 years of age and give
$500 or more annually as an individual or as a couple to United Way.)
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Campaign Idea - Lighten up!
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Offer a day of relaxation. Pamper your
coworkers and volunteer team with light refreshments and a mental break.
Bring in a yoga instructor to teach stress-reduction techniques. Auction
off spa treatments, vacation getaways, dinners for two, manicures and
pedicaures - anything to help folks lighten up.
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