September is United Way month at Wickersham Jewelry

Shop Wickersham Jewelry this September for your special occasions or anniversaries. Sparkle and shine while you LIVE UNITED with this exciting opportunity. A portion of sales from the special United Way case will be donated to Marshfield Area United Way to help your friends, families and neighbors in need.

Visit the Marshfield location at Founder’s Square: 112 North Central Avenue in September to take advantage of this community-minded shopping opportunity!

For more information about this event, call Wickersham Jewelry at 384-4102.

Photo Above Left: Marshfield Wickersham Jewelry staff and United Way Director Paula Jero LIVE UNITED with a special promotion to raise money for area residents in need.

Summer brings garden harvesting and United Way campaigning

It’s an exciting time of year. The weather is still warm and inviting for summer activities and preseason football is finally here, tempting me until regular season snaps begin. But one of the most rewarding things in August is the garden harvest. All of our hard work is starting to bear fruits and vegetables.

Gardening takes planning, preparation and a fair amount of patience. And as I look at my calendar for the year ahead, I can’t help notice the parallels between United Way’s work and the work of harvesting a garden.

People with green thumbs and farmers start their work by knowing their land. They know when to plant and how far apart the seeds and rows should be. United Way’s starting point is to stay informed about needs of the community. Volunteers review local program applications each spring and decide funding for those that address the Marshfield area’s most critical needs.

The objective for the garden often is to produce enough fruits and vegetables for canning or freezing for use over the winter. United Way’s objective is to create opportunities of a better life for everyone. To help achieve that goal, one strategy is to raise money through the community campaign.

Soon United Way Drive Chairs, staff and Partner Programs will visit your workplace. Fundraising events like brat frys, office mini golf or dunk tanks will be gracing companies across the Marshfield area. These events and activities are like the upkeep of a garden, weeding and pruning to keep the plants fruitful. Judging a decorating contest is way more fun than pulling weeds though.

Finally the time comes to pick the tomatoes, beans, peppers and cucumbers. These are the tasty results of months of hard work. The result of your contribution to the United Way campaign is just as fulfilling. It’s the smile of a child whose mentor helps her turn her life around. It’s a family who has some place to turn after a fire destroys their home. And it’s a man and woman who can stay in the home where they raised their children because of a budgeting class.

Like the amazing work of nature when vegetables grow from tiny seeds, a contribution to United Way has creates long lasting results in the lives of families, individuals, seniors and youth in our community.

Get involved: Give. Advocate. Volunteer. LIVE UNITED. To learn more visit marshfieldareaunitedway.org or call 384-9992.

Contributed by Stacey Oelrich, United Way’s 2-1-1 Program Coordinator and Communications Director

Motorcycle enthusiasts ride for United Way

Power Pac’s Poker Run for United Way will bring together motorcycle enthusiasts to help create opportunities for a better life for everyone in the Marshfield Area.

Saturday, September 20 check in and registration begins 8 a.m. at the Power Pac, Inc. parking lot, located at 10599 Business Highway 13 South. Riders will receive a map of the route with 4-6 stops for the day.

The ride concludes at 4 p.m. when riders will meet back at Power Pac for a cook out, prizes and live entertainment. Don’t miss your chance to win a 2009 Yahama Zuma, drawing held at 6 p.m., must be present to win.

Pre-Registration price is $18 per person until September 19, at the door on September 20 cost is $20 per person. Proceeds benefit Marshfield Area United Way.

Click here to print a registration form. Mail completed forms to Power Pac, Inc. PO Box 340. For more information call Power Pac, Inc. at 387-1106.

Marshfield Area United Way funds 38 local programs addressing the most critical needs to provide the basic things families and individuals need for a good life. It is estimated that one out of four area residents uses a United Way Partner Program each year.

Be a part of change: Give. Advocate. Volunteer. LIVE UNITED. To learn more about United Way, and how you can help create lasting change call 384-9992 or visit marshfieldareaunitedway.org.

Charlie Engle Running America for Youth Wellness

Courtesy of Tish McCutchen, United Way of America

Running America will start 09.13.08. On that day ultra-athlete Charlie Engle will begin a 45-day run from San Francisco to New York City, partnering with United Way to raise awareness of—and dollars for—children’s health and wellness, especially programs that target children’s obesity.

Obesity among children has nearly doubled in the last decade. More than 9 million children in the United States are either obese or overweight because today's children are not getting the necessary exercise and activity for good health. Charlie will be working with United Ways across the country to raise awareness about programs that help young people make positive nutritional and behavioral choices. It’s his way of living united and inspiring others to join the movement.
Charlie plans to run an average of 70 miles a day as he crosses the country, and he’ll pass through many United Way communities on the way. To see if your city is on the route, check out the Running America Google map.

Even if you’re not on the itinerary, you and your community can be part of this exciting venture and raise awareness about children’s health and wellness by tracking Charlie’s progress… raising dollars for mileposts along the route… or staging a companion run in your own community. Stay tuned to United Way Online for more information about Running America, including ideas about how you can join in.

In case you’re wondering if there’s any chance anyone can actually run 3,000 miles in 45 days (the record is 46 days 8 hours and 36 minutes), check out Running The Sahara, Charlie’s 2007 adventure.