The 2010 Spirit of Caring Celebration, held in downtown Bellevue’s Hyatt Hotel on Wednesday, March 3, announced its winners for its various awards.
The event, organized by United Way of King County, honors companies, organizations, and individuals who have helped United Way of King County in some way.
The organization is a nonprofit group focused on a wide range of issues in the community, especially in areas of early learning and homelessness.
The various awards and their winners are:
Executive of the Year Award: Sandy Gregory
Gregory was instrumental in helping the Seattle Seahawks with the active promotion and publicity of United Way of King County.
Ambassador of the Year Award: Lucy Pruzan
Pruzan not only provided generous donations to United Way, but also helped increase the membership base of United Way’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society, a society which relies on annual $10,000 donations from each of its members to benefit United Way.
Volunteer of the Year Award: Elaine Sells
Sells was an essential part of United Way of King County’s Individual Development Account (IDA) program by facilitating a relationship between Washington Mutual and United Way to ensure the IDA program’s success.
Chairman’s Award: Nordstrom and Physio Control
Fundraising activities carried out by Nordstrom employees during Nordstrom’s annual Giving Campaign raised a total of $1.3 million for United Way.
Physio Control’s campaign grew by 82 percent over 2009, as a result of Physio Control’s attempts to raise awareness of United Way among its own employees and its offer to match employee donations.
Innovative Fundraising Award: Microsoft
Through sales of a photography book produced by Microsoft’s Photography Club and Blurb, a photo book publishing company, as well as matching donations from Microsoft, Microsoft was able to donate nearly $30,000 to United Way of King County from this book project alone. Microsoft also designed and implemented the Microsoft Auction Tool for United Way, raising $500,000 as well as a “Give” employee intranet site to encourage contributions from employees to charities.
Outstanding Employee Volunteer Program: Deloitte
Deloitte, one of the largest financial auditing companies in the world, was awarded the Outstanding Employee Volunteer Program award for the wide variety of volunteer program that the company offers for its employees including an annual day of service, a year-round volunteer program, a $50 million pro bono program for its services, and the Deloitte Center for Leadership and Community.
Most Significant Increase Award: Charter Bank, First Place School and INCA Engineers Inc.
Due to Charter Bank’s implementation of new activities to encourage employee donations, donations from Charter employees to United Way of King County increased by 15 percent during 2009.
First Place School, a Seattle school dedicated to providing elementary and preschool education to children who have experienced family crises, won this year’s Most Significant Increase Award for its 100 percent increase in donations due in part to the campaign coordinator Angela O’Brien and the school’s director Dr. Doreen Cato.
INCA Engineers Inc. engaged in a friendly competition with Tetra Tech, with INCA coming out the eventual winner, increasing charity donations by 46 percent and increasing donations to United Way of King County in particular by 90 percent.
Leadership Giving Award: PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers, another one of the largest financial auditing companies in the world, was awarded the Leadership Giving Award for its working in encouraging its business partners to donate as well as PricewaterhouseCooper’s annual auction, which raised $40,000 for United Way of King County in 2009.
Sustaining Supporter Award: Davis Wright Tremaine, Washington Federal Savings, Kent School District
Not only have Davis Wright Tremaine LLP employees been actively involved in United Way’s committees, but also the firm has given $150,000 to United Way of King County every year for over 20 years and has committed to sponsoring Project LEAD, a United Way project which seeks to increase minority representation in places of community leadership, for the next two years.
Washington Federal Savings has been a long-term supporter of United Way of King County’s various programs and has conducted a yearly campaign which always involves even the higher echelons of the company.
The Kent School District won this award for exceeding its campaign goal by 8 percent with the help of campaign coordinator Faith Sisley.
Best New Campaign Award: Alaska National Insurance Company
Alaska National Insurance Company, with the help of its Senior Vice President Bob Alexander, was able to raise over $15,000 in their first campaign.
Campaign Coordinator of the Year Award: Bill Wallace, Ben Farrow and Caren Skube
Wallace, Human Resources Director of National Frozen Foods Company, led a company campaign which eventually raised nearly $60,000 for United Way of King County.
Farrow, organizer of Puget Sound Energy’s giving campaign, was able to organize a campaign which eventually raised $350,000 for United Way of King County.
Skube, coordinator for Boeing’s workplace giving campaign, helped lead the campaign to donate over $4 million to United Way of King County.
