United Way celebrates the spirit of community with another record-breaking year!
After a successful campaign, it was time to reflect on the spirit of our community. The Arden Park Hotel in Stratford was the venue on Thursday evening as United Way Perth-Huron (UWPH) joined with donors and volunteers to celebrate raising $2,356,497 for the annual campaign, along with a further $542,050 for United Housing, resulting in a record-setting grand total of $2,898,547.
“It may sound clichéd, but our donors and volunteers really are what makes our organization tick,” said Ryan Erb, UWPH Executive Director, Ryan Erb. “There are so many challenges we face as a region that are beyond our control. Despite that, the people of Perth-Huron continue to support the work we’re doing. We are grateful for the trust our community places in United Way to help deliver important programs and services.”
“We would also like to thank our Campaign Co-chairs, John Wolfe and Kristin Sainsbury, for taking up the challenge of leading the campaign this year. Their help was invaluable in helping us connect with our community and raise funds.”
“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of our communities,” added Campaign Co-chairs Kristin Sainsbury and John Wolfe. “So many people stepped up to support United Way with money, time or both. The amazing people of Perth-Huron made this campaign a success.”
Guests enjoyed dinner generously provided by the Hayter family and heard about the positive impact their support has on local lives from speakers. Terri Sparling sang at the event.
United Way presented Volunteer Spirit awards to Gerry Bell, David Clarke, Barry Hutten, Cindi Jones, April Selkirk, Eva Sippel, Tom Soltys, Robert Stanton and Grace Theophilopoulos. The Avon Maitland District School Board, McCann Redi-Mix, Goderich Mayor Trevor Bazinet, Goderich Councillor Randy Carroll, and Kerry Prober and her teams at McDonald’s in Stratford and St. Marys received Community Spirit awards. FIO Automotive Canada once again topped the list of workplace fundraising campaigns, raising $192,194. This total included a dollar-for-dollar corporate match from FIO.
United Way would like to thank our event sponsors; Gold: The Hayter Family (Arden Park Hotel), Silver: Artas Engineering & Design, Famme & Co., Horizon Solutions, RE/MAX a-b Realty, Bronze: IATSE Local 357, investStratford, Samsonite, SBS Metals and the Stratford Festival.
*United Way Perth-Huron would also like to thank the Hayter Family for donating the meals for this event–helping make this evening of celebration and impact possible!
Spirit of Community Awards (2024-25)
- Avon Maitland District School Board
- Trevor Bazinet
- Randy Carroll
- Dr. Erin & Mike Heisz
- McCann Redi-Mix
- Kerry Prober & Team (McDonald’s Stratford & St. Marys)
Volunteer Spirit Awards (2024-25)
- Gerry Bell
- David Clarke
- Barry Hutton
- Cindi Jones
- April Selkirk
- Eva Sippel
- Tom Soltys
- Robert Stanton
- Grace Theophilopoulos
Top 20 Workplace Employee Giving (2024-25)
- FIO Automotive Canada Corporation—$192,194
- Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance—$50,187
- Famme & Company—$36,986
- Ward & Uptigrove—$30,656
- EFS-plastics—$28,732
- Avon Maitland District School Board—$27,810
- LCBO—$24,957
- Huron Perth Catholic District School Board—$22,991
- United Way Perth-Huron—$22,302
- Dyna Mig Manufacturing—$18,862
- Home & Company—$16,467
- BMO Financial Group—$15,971
- TD Canada Trust—$14,541
- Accumetal Manufacturing—$14,430
- Hendrickson Spring—$13,630
- Schaeffler Canada—$12,845
- FGC Limited—$11,956
- Huron Perth Public Health—$11,329
- Curtiss Wright—$10,668
- CIBC—$10,026
Thank You to Our Spirit of Community Sponsors (2024-25)
GOLD: The Hayter Family (The Arden Park Hotel)
SILVER: Artas Engineering & Design, Famme & Co., Horizon Solutions, RE/MAX a-b Realty
BRONZE: IATSE Local 357, investStratford, Samsonite, SBS Metals, Stratford Festival
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*We will post more from this year’s Spirit of Community Celebration as it becomes available. In the meantime, here are some videos and other content from last year’s event:
Honour Roll (2023/24)
The Honour Roll is a celebration of the many volunteers, sponsors, donors, and granters who support our campaign and help make United Way Perth-Huron the successful, 100% local organization it is. Read more about the people helping United Way ensure that vulnerable local people have the chance for a brighter future. View the PDF
Impact Report: Building Hope, 2023 Report to the Community
Read our Impact Report to find out more about how your donations help us build brighter futures for vulnerable people across Perth-Huron. View the PDF
Video: We Can Be Better