HALTON & HAMILTON, Friday, April 12, 2024 – During last night’s Evening of Celebration, United Way Halton & Hamilton honoured community donors and partners following a fundraising campaign that raised $12,500,000.
This year’s fundraising campaign marked a historic milestone, with the largest amount ever raised for our community’s vital programs and initiatives.
The atmosphere was electric at the Burlington Convention Centre, where over 600 attendees came together. Local leaders, labour partners, supportive organizations, and dedicated non-profit agencies from across Halton and Hamilton celebrated growing together to support the community as this year’s fundraising campaign came to a close.
In its first year, the Local Love Community Match helped propel the incredible generosity of the Halton & Hamilton community. For every $4 donated to this year’s campaign, an additional $1 was matched by supportive community members and organizations. This collaboration helped to increase support for vital programs aimed at improving lives and strengthening our communities.
“I’m truly amazed by the overwhelming generosity of our community this year. With the most vulnerable among us facing immense challenges, these funds will play a crucial role in supporting critical programs,” remarked Brad Park, President and CEO of United Way Halton & Hamilton. “The unwavering support we’ve received from our donors is incredibly inspiring, particularly during these challenging times for nonprofits. We are deeply grateful for their care and commitment to making a positive impact in our community.”
The night’s virtual event was hosted by Chris Mai, former Weather Network personality and current media teacher, with an appearance by Matt Wickham, Senior Vice President, Sales and Operations at Cogeco and United Way Halton & Hamilton’s 2023-2024 Campaign Cabinet Chair. The incoming Cabinet Chair for next year’s campaign was also announced at the event. Claude DeMone, Regional President, Southwestern Ontario, RBC, was thrilled to share his excitement for helping lead next year’s campaign.
“Our community showed up in a big way, helping us reach a historic fundraising milestone. With last year’s assistance to over 143,000 individuals, we’re highly motivated to extend our reach even further. Despite a 68% increase in demand for social services programs, and over 50% of agencies having waitlists, we’re hopeful these funds will help increase critical support to those who need it the most,” said Park.
Throughout the evening, United Way presented the Step Up for the Community Award, The Game Changer Award, Leading the Way Award, Champions of Change Award, Inspiring Local Love Award, the Labour of Love Award and the Leading the Way in Philanthropy Award, in recognition of the profound influence of this community’s generosity over the past year.
A list of all award winners will be published on April 12, 2024 here: https://www.uwhh.ca/awards2023-24/
This year’s Impact Video will be made available following the Evening of Celebration on April 12, 2024: https://youtu.be/NS6W5asy7Xg
