Thanks to rainy-day garage sales, paper airplane contests and other fund-raisers, Lawrence Pacesetter companies have started off this year’s Douglas County United Way campaign on the right foot.

Wednesday night hundreds of business representatives — wearing straw hats and carrying campaign banners — gathered at the Dole Institute of Politics for the United Way Kickoff Rally.

A total of $389,461 already has been raised by the 15 Pacesetter companies.

“Lawrence is a pretty caring town,” Mary Jones, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker McGrew Real Estate, said after the rally program.

This year’s Pacesetter trophy will be shared by Coldwell Banker and People’s Bank. The trophy is awarded to the business with the largest percentage increase of pledges over the previous year. Both firms exceeded a 100 percent increase.

The reporting Pacesetter companies as a group achieved an 18 percent increase over what they did last year, campaign officials said.

The United Way will have a successful year, People’s Bank president Todd Harris said, because past economic concerns stemming from the 9-11 terrorists attacks are receding.

United Way campaign chairman Ted Haggart rallies the crowd, most of whom donned ceremonial straw hats, at the Dole Institute of Politics. The Douglas County United Way staged a kickoff rally Wednesday at the institute at Kansas University in an effort to gather momentum for the 2003 campaign Your

“9-11 is two years in the past and that will help,” Harris said.

This year’s campaign theme is “Your Gift Matters.” It matches the campaign’s goal of focusing on increasing participation in the fund drive instead of a single monetary goal.

The goal is to encourage a 5 percent increase in participation among the United Way donor rolls.

“We really wanted everybody to know that their contribution matters, no matter how much it is,” said Ted Haggart, president of Douglas County Bank and this year’s United Way campaign chairman.

Lawrence Mayor David Dunfield noted that the United Way served more than 67,000 people during the past year.

¢ 6News video: United Way fundraising drive kicks off¢ United Way seeks broader base for campaign contributions (9-3-03)¢United Way of Douglas County

“That is a lot of work, to take help to that many clients,” said Dunfield, who was the guest speaker for the kickoff.

The United Way and its donors signify the joining of individuals to accomplish a mission, Dunfield said.

“A lot of times it is easier to be an individual than it is to reach out to the community and involve yourself,” he said.

Bill Simpson, an attorney, said he thought Lawrence residents and businesses would ante up and contribute to the United Way despite the poor economy during the past year.

“Businesses are dedicated to doing more to help the country,” Simpson said.

Matthew Zabel, 11, chows down on a hamburger during the Douglas County United Way's fall kickoff ceremony and picnic at the Dole Institute of Politics. The Zabel family, from Lawrence, was announced Wednesday as winners of the auction for the Jayhawk on Parade titled Chip