Planning for February

It was paradox week at the United Way this week.

Wednesday was the first planning meeting for Winterama 2008. Winterama is a snowshoeing-skiing-snowmobiling-skating event that takes place in Shallow Lake, the weekend after Wiarton Willie Weekend. It involves 5 area Rotary Clubs: Hepworth-Shallow Lake, Wiarton, Port Elgin, Southampton and Tara. Together they plan and support this 'athon event.

The United Way has been fortunate to be able to partner with the Rotarians and receives 50% of the net proceeds, in 2006, our first event we received just over $10 000, in 2007 the amount jumped to over $16 000.

The Rotarians stipulated that the United Way use 100% of the funds to youth and child related programs.

Which brings me to the second axis of the paradox. While Wednesday was the first planning meeting, Friday was the deadline for United Way funded agencies to apply for the funds that were raised in 2007.

So we plan for the next event, we get to play with the previous event's success.

The funds have been placed into the United Way's Rotary Children's Fund. This fund is a way for United Way agencies to access additional funds, and to create programs that they always "wished" for, but never had the opportunity.

Watch this space for the list of successful programs late October.