The United Way of Portage County will hold its 2015 Recognition Luncheon at noon Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center in Stevens Point. Register for the event at www.unitedwaypoco.org by clicking “2015 United Way Recognition Luncheon” under the Events tab.

Highlights from the event will include:

Individual honors

United Way of Portage County will honor several longtime individual supporters, as well as those who helped make the 2015 campaign a record-setting effort, during the event.

Among the individual honorees are Don and Tina Peters, who will receive United Way’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and Jeff Martin, who will receive the Tina Peters Dedicated Service Award. Both the Peters and Martin have served as campaign drive chairs, on various United Way committees and boards, and have assisted United Way with multiple efforts throughout the past four decades.

Other individual honorees include Rollie Vallin, LIVE UNITED Volunteer of the Year Award recipient; Nicole Tank, Speakers Bureau Award; Gerry O’Brien, Todd Schroeder, and Eva Donohoo who will receive the Special Recognition Award; and Dan Demers who will be honored with the Ignite Volunteer of the Year Award.

In addition, Bev Staniak and her assistant campaign coordinators at Verso will receive the Campaign Coordinator Team of the Year Award.

Recognition for organizations

Dozens of Portage County organizations will receive recognition for contributing to 2015’s record-setting United Way of Portage County Campaign.

Wysocki Family of Farms will receive the 2015 Community Spirit Award, which is given to an organization that demonstrates outstanding corporate and employee support of United Way, exemplifies great community spirt, and defines what it means to LIVE UNITED.

WORZALLA, Ki Mobility, Pointe Precision, and CAP Services will receive the Special Service Award for commitment, leadership and innovation through an internal campaign or on behalf of the community campaign.

Pacelli Catholic Schools will claim the Go-Getter Award, which is awarded for outstanding campaign effort from the community’s student population.

Biery Cheese will receive the Best New Campaign Award, while Sentry Insurance will receive the first-ever Million Dollar Circle Award for having a million dollar campaign in 2015.

Organizations will also be honored for reaching specific goals, amounts and percentages in corporate and employee campaigns.

Passing the leadership torch

United Way of Portage County 2015 Campaign Drive Chairs Timmy and London Cooper; their children, Eloise, Lucy and Phineas; and Timmy’s parents, Bob and Nancy Cooper will pass the leadership torch to the Hofmeister family during the event.

The Coopers led United Way to a record-breaking year in which corporate and individual donations totaled $2,828,280. United Way will present several tokens of its appreciation to them during the event.

They’ll hand over the reins to Lois Hofmeister; Eric and Michelle Hofmeister and their children, Nathan, Ryan, Michael, Megan, Noah and Haley; Hans and Laura Hofmeister and their children, Jake and Max; and Heidi and Jim O’Kray and their children, Alex, Annalisa and Charlie. The Hofmeister family owns and operates Spectra Print in Stevens Point.

Additionally, one attendee of the Recognition Luncheon will go home with an exclusive United Way pendant created by award-winning jeweler Thomas Dailing. The 14-karat white gold pendant with an eight-millimeter Tahitian Pearl and 10-karat white gold box chain has an estimated value of $2,300. The pendant and chain was donated by Lee Ayers Jewelers.

Thrivent Financial is sponsoring the event. More information is available by visiting www.unitedwaypoco.org, calling United Way at 715-341-6740, or emailing [email protected].