When Brian Sharp told his girlfriend he’d won the United Way Sweepstakes for a new automobile, her reaction was one of relief.

“Honestly, I think a few tears of joy came to her eyes because I’ve been frustrated with repairs on my current vehicle and have spent so much time looking at new cars debating whether it was time to buy a new vehicle,” said Sharp, a 17-year Stryker employee in Kalamazoo.

As for Sharp himself? “I was a little speechless and very excited,” he said.

Now Sharp, who works as a senior project manager in Stryker Instruments, will begin searching local sponsoring dealerships for a new truck to replace his aging ride. 

Sharp said he’s been a donor to – and an advocate for – United Way because of its positive impact. “It’s a great community organization. I know all the different groups that United Way supports. I feel it’s very important to give back to the community,” he said.

This year marks the third automobile giveaway as part of the annual United Way campaign, according to Mike Larson, our President and CEO. The sweepstakes provides a new vehicle of the winner’s choice up to a value of $30,000. A new, undesignated gift of $50 or more, or an undesignated gift that has increased from the previous year by $25, automatically qualified a contributor for the drawing. Larson said 7,754 people were entered in the drawing.

The sweepstakes has been a popular incentive for contributors, Larson said. It is funded entirely by Kellogg Community Federal Credit Union, DeNooyer Chevrolet, Heritage Chevrolet, Cole Nissan Cadillac GMC Buick, Henkel Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Orrin B. Hayes, Lassen Automotive, Metro Toyota, Zeigler Kalamazoo, Lakeview Ford Lincoln, Seelye Auto Group and Sunshine Toyota.

Larson said the annual campaign has raised just over $12 million, which is about 83 percent of the regional goal of $14.5 million. On top of financial support, volunteers within the region continue to donate their time and talents to United Way Day of Caring service projects. To date, more than 1,000 volunteers have participated in local Day of Caring activities, Larson said.

“Support for United Way is a personal investment in the health and growth of our local communities and our region,” said Larson. “That investment continues to have positive, measurable impact across the region and on thousands of lives. More children are succeeding in school, more families are becoming financially stable, and more people are getting access to important health services. When these successes happen, we succeed collectively as a community.”

We have issued a scorecard that charts several of those outcomes. The scorecard is available under the “Resources” tab, or at the following link: http://bit.ly/1CyaeLo.