For the City Times

United Way of Portage County honored dozens of volunteers and businesses for their support during the 2015 campaign at its annual recognition luncheon on Tuesday.

The luncheon was held at the Holiday Inn in Stevens Point.

The 2015 Campaign Drive Chairs – Timmy and London Cooper; their children, Lucy, Eloise, and Phineas; and Timmy’s parents, Bob and Nancy – in their final duty in the role thanked the more than 225 United Way supporters at the luncheon for their efforts during this year’s campaign that raised more than $2.8 million to help people in this community.

Major award winners included:

Longtime supporters Don and Tina Peters received the Lifetime Achievement Award. “Our lives have been richer because of the people we’ve met and worked with through United Way,” said Tina Peters in accepting the award. “A common goal, to support and initiate programs that enrich the lives of people living in Portage County, unites all of us in this room.” Don served as Campaign Drive Chair in 1984 and co-founded United Way’s Stevens Society for annual donors of $500 or more. Tina served as Campaign Drive Chair in 1992 and 1993, and has chaired the Stevens Society for decades.

Jeff Martin of Ministry Health Care received the Tina Peters Dedicated Service Award presented to an individual who has shown exemplary passion and compassion to the residents of Portage County. Jeff served as Campaign Drive Chair in 1991 and helped found the Ministry Dental Center, a United Way-funded program. He has also served as president of the UWSP Foundation, Stevens Point Area YMCA, Stevens Point Country Club, Portage County Business Council, and Trinity Lutheran Church.

Wysocki Family of Companies received the Community Spirit Award presented to an organization for longtime outstanding corporate and employee support.

Bev Staniak and Team Verso received the Campaign Coordinator Team of the Year.

Nicole Tank of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin received the Speaker’s Bureau Award.

Rollie Vallin, organizer of the Dan Sandstrom Walleye Tournament that benefits United Way’s Learn for Life Program, received the LIVE UNITED Volunteer of the Year Award.

Receiving Special Recognition Awards were Todd Schroeder, Jerry O’Brien, and Eva Donohoo. Schroeder received the award for taking Sentry Insurance’s campaign over the $1 million mark this year as their coordinator, O’Brien received it for his decades of service to United Way, and Donohoo earned it for the volunteer work she does for United Way in serving on numerous committees and boards.

Special Service Awards for commitment, leadership and innovation went to CAP Services, Ki Mobility, Pointe Precision, and WORZALLA.

Pacelli Catholic Schools received the Go-Getter Award for outstanding campaign effort from the community’s student population.

Biery Cheese received the Best New Campaign Award.

Sentry Insurance received the Million Dollar Circle Award for raising $1 million during this year’s campaign. This is the first time United Way of Portage County has ever presented this award.

Receiving Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Corporate Campaign Awards given to businesses in each division for highest corporate gifts per capita (contribution divided by the number of employees) were:

AGRICULTURE: Platinum, Paramount Farms, Inc.; Gold, Worzella & Sons, Inc.; Silver, Plover River Farms Alliance; and Bronze, Roberts Irrigation Company, Inc.

FINANCIAL: Platinum, BMO Harris Bank; Gold, Investors Community Bank; Silver, FirstMerit Bank; and Bronze, Central City Credit Union.

MAJOR EMPLOYERS 1: Platinum, Sentry Insurance; Gold, Ministry Health Care; Silver, Associated Bank; and Bronze, Donaldson Company.

MAJOR EMPLOYERS 2: Platinum, Delta Dental of Wisconsin; Gold, WORZALLA; Silver, CN; Bronze, Neenah Paper-Whiting Mill.

MANUFACTURING AND PROCESSING: Platinum, Worth Company; Gold, Gamber Johnson LLC; Silver, Steel King Industries; and Bronze, Sargento Foods, Inc.

RETAIL/WHOLESALE: Platinum, H&S Protection Systems, Inc.; Gold, Len Dudas Motors; Silver, Midwest Hardware Association; and Bronze, Jay-Mar, Inc.

SERVICES: Platinum, Rettler & Associates; Gold, The Boldt Company – WRV; Silver, Regnier Consulting Group; and Bronze, Anderson, O’Brien, Bertz, Skrenes & Golla.

HEALTH: Platinum, Cooper Dental; Gold, Hom Family Dentistry; Silver, Ki Mobility; and Bronze, Adventure 212 Fitness.

Outstanding Campaign Awards were given to Washington Elementary School for the Greatest Campaign Percentage Increase of All Public Schools, St. Stephen School for the Greatest Campaign Percentage Increase of All Parochial Schools, and Girl Scouts of Northwestern Great Lakes for the Greatest Campaign Percentage Increase of All Partner Agencies.

Employee Campaign Awards recognizing above average giving regardless of number of employees for companies with a minimum of 30-percent participation and an average weekly gift over $1 for all employee donors were handed out to:

PLATINUM (Average employee gifts of $5 or more per week): Ameriprise Financial; Anderson, O’Brien, Bertz, Skrenes & Golla; CAP Services; CliftonLarsonAllen LLP; Cooper Dental; Delta Dental of Wisconsin; Enterprise Rent-A-Car; General Beer-Northeast, Inc.;
IBM; Meals On Wheels; Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.; Notable Impressions; O’Reilly Auto Parts; Pointe Precision, Inc.; Portage County 6th Judicial District; Portage County Business Council; Recycled Office Environments; Regnier Consulting Group; River Cities Bank; The Boldt Company – WRV; Thomas W. Stout, CPA, S.C.; and United Way Of Portage County.

GOLD (Average employee gifts of $3 or more per week): Allstate Insurance; Associated Bank; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Portage County; Blenker Companies, Inc.; Bliss Educational Service Center; CCCW – Stevens Point; Central City Credit Union – Point/Plover; Cherek, Pucci & Quick, S.C.; Ellis Construction Company, Inc.; Investors Community Bank; JHL Digital Direct; Klismith Accounting & Tax Group SC; Mark Toyota Scion; Mid-State Technical College; Ministry Health Care; Napa Distribution Center; Neenah Paper – Whiting Mill; Portage County Gazette; Sentry Insurance; Skyward, Inc.; UPS; Verso Corporation – Stevens Point Mill; Wisconsin Public Service; and Worth Company.

SILVER (Average employee gifts of $2 or more per week): AnchorBank – Stevens Point; Boys & Girls Club of Portage County; Community Industries Corp.; DigiCOPY; H&S Protection Systems, Inc.; Intevation Food Group; Ki Mobility; Len Dudas Motors; Madison Elementary; McKinley Elementary; Scaffidi Motors, Inc.; Spectra Print Corporation; Stevens Point Child Safety Center; Stevens Point City Hall; Village of Plover; Washington Elementary; Welling Cabinetry; and Wysocki Family of Companies.

BRONZE (Average employee gifts of $1 or more per week): Advocates for the Developmentally Disabled; Aging & Disability Resource Center of Portage County; AnchorBank – Plover Branch; Bannach Elementary; Ben Franklin Junior High School; Biery Cheese Company; Bulls Eye Credit Union; Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin; Community First Bank; Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc.; Jefferson Elementary; McDill Elementary; Midwest Hardware Association; National Wellness Institute; Pineries Bank; Plover Whiting Elementary; Point of Beginning; Portage County Housing Authority; Roosevelt Elementary; St. Bronislava School; St. Stanislaus School; St. Stephen School; Target Stores #806; Tomorrow River School District; WIAA; Younkers – Store #138.

Named to United Way’s Campaign Leaders Award Clubs were:

$1,000,000+ Club (for corporate and employee gifts of $1,000,000 or more): Sentry Insurance.

$250,000+ Club (for corporate and employee gifts of $250,000 or more): Delta Dental of Wisconsin.

$100,000+ Club (for corporate and employee gifts of $100,000 or more): Associated Bank.

$50,000+ Club (for corporate and employee gifts between $50,000 and $74,999): WORZALLA.

$25,000+ Club (for corporate and employee gifts between $25,000 and $49,999): Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection; BMO Harris Bank; CAP Services; Donaldson Company, Inc.; Neenah Paper – Whiting Mill; Pointe Precision, Inc.; Skyward, Inc.; Stevens Point Area Public Schools; University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; UPS; Verso Corporation – Stevens Point Mill; Worth Company; and Wysocki Family of Companies.

$10,000+ Club (for corporate and employee gifts between $10,000 and $24,999): AIG Travel; Anderson O’Brien Bertz, Skrenes & Golla; Blenker Companies, Inc.; Central City Credit Union – Point/Plover; CN; Cooper Dental; Ellis Construction Company, Inc.; General Beer-Northeast, Inc.; Intevation Food Group; JHL Digital Direct; Ki Mobility; Muzzy Broadcasting; Paramount Farms, Inc.; Portage County Government; and Spectra Print.

Named to United Way’s 100-Percent Club for companies with five or more employees reporting 100-percent participation were Ameriprise Financial; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Portage County; Cherek, Pucci & Quick, S.C.; Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin; General Beer-Northeast, Inc.; H&S Protection Systems, Inc.; Investors Community Bank; Klismith Accounting & Tax Group S.C.; National Wellness Institute; Pineries Bank; Portage County Business Council; Regnier Consulting Group; Roosevelt Elementary; St. Stanislaus School; and United Way of Portage County.

The Cooper family concluded their tenure as Campaign Drive Chairs by passing the leadership torch to the Hofmeister family of Spectra Print – Lois, Eric, Michelle, Hans, Laura, Heidi, Jim, Nathan, Alex, Ryan, Michael, Megan, Noah, Haley, Jake, Max, Annalisa, and Charlie.