By Hillary Gavan
For StatelineBusiness

BELOIT -- The Stateline United Way honored generosity at its 2007 Campaign Recognition and Annual Meeting held in January at the American Legion Hall in Rockton.

Campaign Chair Art Kapitanoff announced that the Stateline United Way raised $1,420,000, during the campaign. That number is up from the $1,386,000 raised in 2006, but is short from the organization's goal of $1,450,000, according to Stateline United Way Executive Director Steve Kinkade.

Kinkade said it's the first time since 1998 that the organization has not met its goal. Kinkade attributed the usual suspects of job layoffs, high energy costs and the economy as factors why giving may not have grown as much as the organization hoped for.

"We are striving for those dollars because they mean services to fellow Americans," Kinkade said.

The Stateline United Way was formed in 1952. It traditionally has raised money for its member agencies. It currently has 26 agencies eligible to request funds annually. Groups range from Salvation Army and Stateline Boys & Girls Club to Merrill Community Center and Hands of Faith.

In addition, last year the Stateline United Way was able to make $107,000 in extra grants to special initiatives.

One of the grants went to Nutrition and Health Associates Community Outreach Program, helping to address health care needs, and the other to Community Action Fatherhood Initiative, helping to address economic self-sufficiency.

The need for health care and self-sufficiency were two of the needs that were identified by the Rock County needs assessment.

Stateline United Way Board President Duke Sims welcomed in 2008 Board President Dave Bolen.

Casie LaChance from ABC Supply Co. gave out the 2006 Thomas M. Jones Award to Terry Burdick of Blackhawk Bank.

Burdick has been volunteering for the past three years and became a Key Club level donor for several years before that.

"The honoree became involved as a Stateline United Way volunteer by working on our allocation panels, visiting agencies and reviewing their budgets. She then offered to be a part of our speaker's bureau for the past two years, helping spread the word about United Way at company campaign kickoffs," LaChance said.

Burdick will serve as the Stateline United Way Board's vice president in 2008.

Sims gave the Spirit of the Stateline Award to M&I Bank and Trust Co., a business that has contributed significantly to Stateline United Way throughout the year. Bonnie Wetter, a former president of Stateline United Way, received the award on behalf of M&I Bank.

"As if that weren't enough, this company had an energetic campaign coordinator who put together an array of ways to raise money for our 2007 campaign. The extra efforts, which included a Kiss the Pig contest, resulted in the business raising 22 percent more money than was raised last year," Sims said.