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Spirit of Community Celebration

 in Campaign / Events

Thank You for Being Part of the 2025-26 Spirit of Community Celebration!

Sponsored by the Best Western Plus Arden Park Hotel.

Another successful year deserves a night of celebration. On Thursday evening, United Way Perth-Huron (UWPH) welcomed donors and volunteers to the Best Western Plus Arden Park Hotel in Stratford to reflect on the generosity of the community after raising more than $4.8 million through the organization’s annual campaign and United Housing initiative.

The fundraising total included $2.56 million raised through the annual campaign, as well as $2.27 million secured for United Housing through a mix of donations, community bonds, grants and low-interest municipal loans.

“This has been an exceptional year thanks to donors, volunteers, partners and staff,” said Ryan Erb, UWPH Executive Director. “We all know there has been so much uncertainty in our community and in the wider world. Despite everything, our donors gave at an unprecedented level, and we were able to help thousands of local people. It’s humbling to see how invested our region is in the work of United Way. We are so grateful for the trust of our community, and we are committed to continuing our work across the region.”

On a night full of inspiring stories, gratitude, and celebration, UWPH also took time to honour the contributions of outgoing Campaign Co-chairs, John Wolfe and Kristin Sainsbury.

“John and Kristin are true friends to our community. They are kind, generous with their time, and passionate about making this region a better place for everyone,” said Erb. “Their efforts over the last two years have inspired us all to be better people. We sincerely thank them for their leadership and compassion.”

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve as campaign co-chair over the past two years,” said Kristin Sainsbury. “We couldn’t have done this without the generosity of the businesses and people in our community who stepped up to support the campaign. I am blown away by the dedication of the volunteers and staff at the United Way who work tirelessly to raise awareness in our communities.”

“My biggest takeaway from the past two years was the energy of the volunteers and the commitment of the United Way staff. The team is outstanding — people who give their all to ensure that much-needed services are delivered throughout Huron and Perth Counties,” added John Wolfe. “It’s also been amazing to see the generosity of our community. We truly live in an area where people really care for and help each other.”

Guests enjoyed dinner generously provided by the Hayter family and heard about the positive impact their support has on local lives from speakers. Award-winning Canadian folk artist Dayna Manning also performed.

Thank You to Our Spirit of Community Sponsors (2025-26)

GOLD: The Hayter Family/Best Western Plus Arden Park Hotel
SILVER: Famme & Co., RE/MAX a-b Realty
BRONZE: Artas Engineering, investStratford, KDB Law, Mornington Communications, SBS Welding & Custom Fabrication
IN-KIND: Horizon Solutions, IATSE Local 357, RVS Draperies, Samsonite and the Stratford Festival

Here is a list of awards and honorees from the Spirit of Community Celebration on April 2, 2026:

Spirit of Community Awards (2025-26)

  1. Beth Blowes
  2. Peter Maranger & Associates
  3. Ward & Uptigrove
  4. Soup Surreal
  5. Jayden’s Mechanical

Volunteer Spirit Awards (2025-26)

  1. Ellen Barnett
  2. Gwen Bradley
  3. Sarah Bussey
  4. Sally Desjardine
  5. Karen Dickins
  6. Patti Fievoli
  7. Bernice Glenn
  8. Wendy Hutton
  9. Andrea Loohuizen
  10. Nick Skinner
  11. Tom Soltys
  12. Terri Sparling
  13. Denise Winger

Top 20 Workplace Employee Giving (2025-26)

  1. FIO Automotive Canada Corporation | $174,696
  2. Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance | $50,274
  3. Famme & Company | $36,436
  4. EFS-plastics | $32,989
  5. Avon Maitland District School Board | $29,853
  6. Ward & Uptigrove | $26,650
  7. United Way Perth-Huron | $23,983
  8. Huron Perth Catholic District School Board | $23,350
  9. Home & Company | $15,900
  10. FGC Limited | $15,271
  11. RBC | $13,707
  12. Curtiss Wright Sensors & Controls | $13,460
  13. Accumetal Manufacturing | $13,416
  14. BMO Financial Group | $13,288
  15. Hendrickson Spring | $12,128
  16. TD Canada Trust | $11,691
  17. Schaeffer | $10,179
  18. Dyna Mig | $9,464
  19. Huron Perth Public Health | $9,308
  20. CIBC | $8,434

Honour Roll (2024-25)—NEW HONOUR ROLL COMING SOON!

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

Spirit of Community Celebration Videos (2024-25)—NEW VIDEOS COMING SOON!