On Tuesday, May 3, hundreds gathered at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell to honor more than eighty companies and organizations, their employees, and community leaders who contributed $1,925,723 to the 2010-11 Middlesex United Way 75^th Anniversary Campaign. This amount is about 3 percent over the campaign goal of $1,875,000.

“Every year around the world, thousands of coordinators and volunteers are mobilized to raise resources on behalf of United Way,” said Gary Simonsen of PrimePay, President of the Middlesex United Way Board of Directors. “That cumulative effort results in a total of four billion dollars raised across the globe. You are part of this worldwide movement to advance the common good for all.

“Your efforts are changing lives and moving the needle on community conditions,” Simonsen added. “And it’s working… we are getting results and creating real, lasting change in the areas of education, income, health and housing.”

Michael Roth, President of Wesleyan University, presented Zygo Corporation. with an award for being a top 10 account. “Zygo Corporation is one of our outstanding local campaigns that continues to shine every year” said Roth.

Other local awards included:

• Cooper-Atkins Corporation and Independent Day School where presented with 50 percent+ employee participation awards.
• Cooper-Atkins Corporation, the Town of Middlefield and TD Bank in Durham were presented with 10 percent+ increase in employee participation awards.

The event brought to a close Middlesex United Way’s 75^th Anniversary Campaign, and the three co-chairs who oversaw the fundraising effort were acknowledged for their outstanding leadership and advocacy on behalf of United Way. The co-chairs were:

• Chandler Howard, President and CEO of Liberty Bank;
• Larry McHugh, President of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce; and
• Michael Roth, President of Wesleyan University.

McHugh introduced the co-chairs of the 2011-12 Middlesex United Way Campaign who will be Harry Eben Burr of McCutcheon Burr & Sons and Arthur “Buddy” McDowell of Middlesex Hospital.

Middlesex United Way is advancing the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. Our focus is on education, income, health and housing – the building blocks for a good quality of life. United Way recruits people and organizations that bring the passion, expertise, and resources needed to get things done. You are invited to be part of the change by giving, advocating and volunteering. That’s what it means to Live United.

In the towns of Durham and Middlefield, Middlesex United Way is working with Durham / Middlefield Youth & Family Services which is a site of Health Communities-Healthy Youth prevention initiative aimed at reducing school age substance abuse.