Congratulations to the United Way of Douglas County for its record-setting 2003 campaign.

The organization announced last week that it had met its campaign goal for the first time since 2000. The goal was $1.462 million, an increase of 6.7 percent from the previous year.

The drive’s success is welcome news to the 27 local agencies it helps fund. Many of those agencies have seen an increase in the demand for their services as a result of tough economic times.

United Way provides valuable funding to services that touch the lives of virtually every resident of Douglas County. The group’s well-organized campaigns and businesslike distribution of funding have given local donors confidence that their contributions will be well-used in the community.

It took hundreds of volunteers and thousands of donors to make this year’s United Way a success. They all deserve the community’s thanks and support.