Lubbock Area United Way launched its 2024 annual campaign on Tuesday with a luncheon at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center and announced a fundraising goal of $5.7 million.
Donations for the campaign will support more than 122,000 people who are served each year by United Way’s community partners, according to a press release.
At Tuesday’s event, Matt Ernst, campaign leader and news director at KCBD News Channel 11, inspired the volunteers and supporters in attendance, saying, “I want to ask you to think about what you want the future of Lubbock and the South Plains to look like. Do we want to continue to build a community of support and generosity and show everyone that you can have a city full of people who care about each other? Do you want Lubbock to have a successful future because of the decisions we make today? I believe that every day we lay the foundation for our community. Your support today will continue to sustain the Lubbock we know and love tomorrow.”
Jody Holland, leadership development coach, was the keynote speaker. Holland spoke about the wonders that small steps taken today can create in the future and how we can create and support these small but impactful steps. He challenged the audience to look for opportunities to get involved in actions that will improve their lives and the lives of those in our community far into the future.
United Way and its community partners work to address the root causes of problems facing South Plains communities, such as economic mobility, educational inequality, family and personal violence, and mental health care.
Greg Allen, chairman of Jumpstart and PlainsCapital Bank, announced the results of nine local organizations that ran their United Way workplace campaigns before the campaign began. These include Citibus, City Bank, Frenship ISD, KCBD News Channel 11, Lubbock-Cooper ISD, PlainsCapital Bank, Prosperity Bank, United Supermarkets and Lubbock Area United Way. Donations from these companies and their employees, along with other pre-funding donations already received, contributed more than $1.17 million toward the campaign goal of $5.7 million. Last year’s United Way campaign raised just over $5.8 million.
United Way’s Impact Luncheon will be held on October 17 at the Civic Center Banquet Hall, and the campaign will conclude with the Campaign Celebration Luncheon on December 3. Both events are free to attend, and seats can be reserved at liveunitedlubbock.org/events.
