Rockin' the United Way

Led by campaign co-chairs Matt Tollerton, left, and Jayne Dunkmann, the United Way of Central Missouri unveiled this year's campaign theme Tuesday during a children's and participating agency parade. This year's theme is "Rockin' the '80s," and United Way staff and agency representatives dressed the part.
Led by campaign co-chairs Matt Tollerton, left, and Jayne Dunkmann, the United Way of Central Missouri unveiled this year's campaign theme Tuesday during a children's and participating agency parade. This year's theme is "Rockin' the '80s," and United Way staff and agency representatives dressed the part.

To the 1980s hit song, "Come On Eileen," children walked in a mini-parade Tuesday wearing sunglasses and carrying blow-up guitars to help announce the United Way of Central Missouri's 2016 campaign theme: Rockin' the '80s.

United Way campaign co-chairs Matt Tollerton and Jayne Dunkmann led the children - from the Special Learning Center, Jefferson City Daycare, YMCA Child Development Center and Council for Drug Free Youth - along the Greenway. It was the United Way's first public event of the year.

Tollerton, director of e-commerce at Central Bank, said the United Way marketing team started brainstorming theme ideas in December. The group consists of 24 representatives from community businesses, including Dunkmann, the marketing director at Jefferson Bank of Missouri.

Someone brought up the popular song "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey, and the group took off with the '80s theme idea. The tune, which is still a radio favorite and a karaoke classic, will serve as the campaign slogan and the United Way's call to action this year.

"We always try to find a theme that the whole community can get behind," Tollerton said. "With 'Don't Stop Believin' and the '80s theme, it's something that will resonate and that people can have a lot of fun with."

In 2015, the United Way fundraising campaign brought in $1,809,227 - surpassing its $1.8 million goal. Community efforts rallied around the reality TV-theme with the slogan, "Changing the Reality," which sparked fundraising events like a Rock, Paper, Scissors Survivors Challenge and the first Mid-Missouri's Got Talent.

Ann Bax, president of the United Way, said the organization decided to announce the campaign theme early this year to give interested participants in Mid-Missouri's Got Talent more time to prepare their performances. She said the United Way is hoping to make the event, which raised more than $5,000 last year, bigger and better in 2016.

"The earlier we begin, the better job we can hopefully do in raising awareness for the campaign, which hopefully translates to a more successful campaign," she said.

The marketing team has worked to increase brand awareness, Tollerton said, and that makes businesses and employees more receptive when the organization seeks donations. The United Way will announce its fundraising goal in June.

Since last year's campaign wrapped, Bax said the organization has been vetting applications from partner agencies re-applying for United Way funding.

"A lot of people ask us if we take off in-between campaigns, but honestly, it's equally busy," she said.

About 80 volunteers sitting on six different panels review the applications from the 28 partner agencies. They will learn how much United Way funding they'll receive this week, Bax said. The United Way has also been analyzing one-time grants totaling to $75,000 for any nonprofit in the organization's coverage area.