Leading the annual United Way

fund-raising campaign is an important contribution to the residents of Douglas County.

A recent news story told of Ted Haggart, Douglas County Bank president, being selected to head the 2003-2004 fund-raising campaign for United Way of Douglas County. Haggart is sure to do a good job in heading the annual campaign, which is so important to so many county residents of all ages.

At this time, it’s also appropriate to call attention to the excellent job done by David and Mary Kate Ambler as co-chairs of the just-completed United Way drive.

The 2002-2003 drive raised $1,425,000 at a time when the economy was less than robust, when several major contributors to past United Way campaigns had left Lawrence and when employment numbers were down. This was the largest amount ever raised by a Douglas County United Way drive.

The Amblers did not approach their task lightly, and they committed a great deal of time to the effort. They did everything they could to help ensure a successful drive. Thousands upon thousands of county residents will benefit from the generosity of Douglas County residents, businesses and industries and the hard work of the Amblers and many United Way volunteers.

The needs continue and, because of even tighter local, state and federal budgets, the demands are likely to become even more severe in the coming months. Private money can help ease or improve the financial crunch for agencies, and the United Way plays a critical role in supporting many important services in Douglas County.

Haggart and the members of his campaign organization will face a challenging task, but the success of the Amblers and the many United Way volunteer workers demonstrates that Douglas County residents are generous and want to help those who are less fortunate.

Once again, congratulations to David and Mary Kate Ambler and best wishes to Ted Haggart.