Nearly 300 Volunteers Support RUSD for 2018 Campaign Kickoff and Day of Caring

Racine, WI (September 8, 2018)—Volunteering for organizations throughout the community is a tradition of United Way’s Day of Caring. Since Racine Unified School District is one of many key organizations that partner with United Way to address United Way’s focus of Building an Educated Workforce, focusing volunteer activities on supporting Racine Unified School District locations was a good way to give back to the community.

Nearly 300 volunteers participated, starting the morning off at Case High School. There, speakers Rebecca Mason, United Way of Racine County board chair; Rodney Prunty, president of United Way; and Eric Gallien, United Way campaign chair and RUSD superintendent, kicked off United Way’s 2018 campaign.  

Prunty thanked Johnson Financial Group and Racine Unified School District for sponsoring Kickoff and Day of Caring. He also spoke about the upcoming expansion of United Way’s LIFT community schools initiative to a second school in Racine County. In 2019, Julian Thomas will join Knapp Elementary as a community school, providing a variety of support services for students, families, and residents in the neighborhood.

“This year’s Kickoff and Day of Caring is all about supporting our students,” said Prunty. “Racine Unified and other local school districts are the cornerstone of our community. These schools do so much to educate our children and uplift our communities. I’m so proud that our volunteers will give back to support that mission.”

“What makes United Way successful is its drive to facilitate collaboration—between donors, communities, volunteers, leaders, companies, and our schools,” said Gallien. “Working with United Way has brought extra learning support to our students, made Knapp Elementary a place where we can provide our community with new resources, and now will give new life to our schools as we volunteer today. Seeing these connections grow makes me proud to Live United.”

Together, Prunty and Gallien announced the Twin Disc 100^th Anniversary Sweepstakes. To celebrate its 100^th Anniversary, Twin Disc is offering one lucky United Way donor the chance to win $10,000. All donors who give a minimum of $100, or increase their previous donation by at least 10%, to United Way’s 2018 Campaign will be entered into the sweepstakes.

After Kickoff, volunteers began their activities at sites throughout Racine County: River Bend Nature Center, Habitat for Humanity, Three Harbors Council, Dr. Jones School, the RUSD Administration Center, Julian Thomas, Schulte School, Mitchell School, the Community Pathways Campus, the Eco-Justice Center, and Knapp Community School. Collectively, volunteers maintained and landscaped grounds, prepared wood bundles, removed invasive plants, built benches for school courtyards, and painted murals.