United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades celebrated its 2025-26 Campaign Kickoff at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers, where United Way announced that 50.5% of their annual fundraising campaign goal of $11,512,716 has already been met.<\/p>\n
This significant contribution was raised through Pacesetter contributions along with early Alexis de Tocqueville Society giving (individuals who contribute $10,000+ annually) and Keel Club giving (individuals who contribute $1,000-$9,999 annually). Event sponsors included B&I Contractors, Inc., Cypress Cove, Florida Trust Wealth Management, Publix Super Markets and Sanibel Captiva Community Bank.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 2025-26 campaign is underway and we\u2019re excited about our efforts moving forward,\u201d said United Way Board Chair Kevin Karnes. \u201cOur nearly 100 partner agencies provide key services to individuals and families across Southwest Florida, and this campaign is critically important to support their needs and unite the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campaign Co-chairs Carolyn Rogers and Will Prather spoke about the $11.5 million goal for this year\u2019s campaign and the theme, \u2018United is the Way.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThe United Way annual campaign is a powerful reminder that we\u2019re strongest when we stand together,\u201d said Prather. \u201cThis year\u2019s \u2018United is the Way\u2019 theme embodies the belief that together, we can overcome challenges, create opportunities and make a lasting difference in people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pacesetter Co-chairs Matt Humphreys and Jay Santos gave updates about companies and organizations that ran their United Way campaigns early to set the pace for the rest of the community. There are currently 184 Pacesetters with 472 individuals who give at the Keel Club level (donations of $1,000+ annually), including 47 who are Alexis de Tocqueville donors. The total raised thus far is $5,813,033.<\/p>\n
The top 10 Pacesetter companies are:<\/p>\n
Publix \u2013 $910,250<\/p>\n
Beesley\u2019s Paw Prints \u2013 $350,000<\/p>\n
Lee Health \u2013 $258,198<\/p>\n
Uhler Vertich White Advisors \u2013 $218,224<\/p>\n
LCEC \u2013 $205,000<\/p>\n
Susanne and Larry Pickering \u2013 $175,000<\/p>\n
United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades employees \u2013 $157,363<\/p>\n
O\u2019Donnell Landscapes, Inc \u2013 $151,500<\/p>\n
Lee Board of County Commissioners \u2013 $130,142<\/p>\n
FineMark National Bank & Trust \u2013 $85,891<\/p>\n
\u201cOur Pacesetters are a great group, and we\u2019re thrilled with the support and effort they put in each year,\u201d said Rogers. \u201cStarting the campaign like this is important and makes great strides in helping to reach our goal of $11.5 million dollars that will ensure that our coworkers, friends and neighbors continue to get the assistance they need.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to learning about the impact the funding has on the community, attendees also heard about an exciting chance to win one of several staycation packages in 2026. By contributing $240 or more per year to the 2025-2026 campaign, individuals will be automatically entered to win one of the staycation prizes.<\/p>\n
The \u2018Staycation Passport to Paradise\u2019 courtesy of Margaritaville Fort Myers Beach includes:<\/p>\n
o \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Five-night stay for up to four people
o \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0$500 resort credit
o \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Sightseeing or sunset cruise for up to four people<\/p>\n
o \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Two-night stay
o \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0$50 resort credit<\/p>\n
All money raised through the United Way campaign stays in the community to help support the local human service network of partner agencies. United Way Partner Agencies such as Better Together, Boys & Girls Club of Lee County, Cancer Alliance Network, Harry Chapin Food Bank, Lee County Legal Aid Society, Partners for Breast Cancer Care and The Dubin Center serve a diverse range of needs in the community.<\/p>\n
In addition to raising funds for human service organizations, United Way promotes partnerships and collaborations among agencies, helping them work together to focus on issues that continue to improve lives. United Way\u2019s mission as a volunteer-driven organization is to improve the quality of life for all people in our community.<\/p>\n
Opportunities for the community to engage and support the 2025-26 campaign will continue throughout the year with special fundraising events like the Celebrity Bartender Battle on Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Bay Street Yard, 2136 Bay St. in Fort Myers. The Celebrity Bartender Battle will pit local \u201ccelebrities\u201d against each other as they set up behind the bar to serve drinks and engage with guests to see which team can raise the most money. All tips and 20% of proceeds from that night benefit United Way and its programs. To donate in support of your favorite bartender, visit\u00a0UnitedWayLee.org\/Events\/Celebrity-Bartender<\/a>.<\/p>\n United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades was established in 1957 and has raised and distributed more than $272 million since its inception. For more information about United Way\u2019s impact or to contribute to the 2024-25 campaign, please call 239-433-2000 or visit\u00a0UnitedWayLee.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n About United Way<\/p>\n United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades has raised and distributed more than $272 million since its establishment in 1957, with all funds staying local to support a vast network of partner agencies and community programs. \u00a0Together, we serve the community by nurturing youth, strengthening families, helping the elderly and disabled live independently, and empowering neighborhoods by delivering essential health and human services. Visit\u00a0UnitedWayLee.org<\/a>\u00a0to learn more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades celebrated its 2025-26 Campaign Kickoff at the Barbara B. Mann Performing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7645,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-27898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}