Congratulations to the 2022 Campaign Award Winners!
Each year United Way Niagara is proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of local partners and supporters with yearly campaign awards. The following award winners have shown tremendous support and dedication to strengthening our community over the past year.
Anita Robertson Legacy Award
This memorial award is bestowed annually upon an individual or individuals that embody Anita’s kind heart and community spirit and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to our cause.
Mike and Carol Clarke’s support and loyalty to United Way has been exemplary and we are thrilled to recognize them for their outstanding commitment in addition to their personal financial support. We are grateful for their leadership which has touched nearly every aspect of our organization, including Campaign Cabinet, Community Investment Panel, Golf Committee, Women United and involvement with the Anita Project. It is for these reasons that we have unreservedly chosen Mike and Carol Clarke as this year’s recipients of the Anita Robertson Legacy Award. Congratulations!
Campaign of the Year
The Campaign of the Year award is presented to an organization that achieved tremendous success in their employee campaign in 2022.
This year we are delighted to present the award to General Motors St. Catharines Propulsion Plant GM and employees of UNIFOR Local 199 conducted another successful employee giving campaign demonstrating immense creativity, enthusiasm and perseverance. What was already a successful campaign saw an increase thanks to creative incentives and an overall commitment to the campaign by the Hourly Reps and Campaign Committee.
GM has remained the number one Employee Campaign for United Way in Niagara for nearly 70 years with a current 41% participation rate, GM is a model for a successful campaign. The success of the United Way campaign is a direct result of the culture of giving that is engrained in the plant. Congratulations, General Motors and Unifor local 199!
Community Builder Award
The Community Builder award is presented to an organization that has demonstrated tremendous support to United Way and the community we serve.
This year, we are honoured to recognize Niagara College Canada with the Community Builder Award. United Way’s mission is “Empower everyone to improve lives and build strong communities.” Niagara College has been a loyal partner of United Way and the community we serve for many decades and has embodied this mission in a number of ways. Not only did the 2022 NC Cares in a United Way Campaign see a drastic increase in dollars raised – NC’s expanded partnership on the Garden Hub at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus and Sean Kennedy’s leadership as the 2022 Campaign Chair – deepened the connection between our two organizations resulting in incredible local impact.
The Niagara College community has demonstrated a passion for United Way and the Niagara community that is unmatched. We are honoured to recognize the efforts of the many dedicated individuals we have the pleasure of working with by awarding Niagara College with the 2022 United Way Community Builder Award.
Community Partner Award
The Community Partnership Award is presented to an organization that demonstrates outstanding dedication and commitment to United Way and the Niagara community through deep rooted partnerships.
United Way is thrilled to award Post Foods Canada with the Community Partnership Award. The annual Post Cereal Sale in support of United Way not only raises thousands of dollars for programming that improves lives in our community, but also supports the most vulnerable by making a nutritious breakfast possible for everyone in all walks of life. This year we saw people lining up at three o’clock in the morning in anticipation of the Post Cereal Sale which raised over $22,000. The impact is incredible and many people supporting the sale donated cereal to local food programs. This is community in action.
Corporation of the Year
The Corporation of the Year award criteria is not only based on campaign achievements, but focuses on sponsorship, volunteerism, corporate support, and most importantly, outstanding commitment.
United Way is pleased to present the Corportation of the Year Award to Quartz Co Surfaces. The support from Quartz Co has been outstanding, from ongoing corporate support, to the first Annual Remnant Sale which raised an impressive $20,000, sponsorship of a team for the Firetruck Pull Campaign Kick-off and generous personal support. In total, Quartz Co Surfaces raised over $40,000 for United Way in 2022, earning them a place in United Way’s Top 20 Employee Campaigns for the first time. Congratulations!
Longstanding Service Award
The Longstanding Service Award goes to an organization that has demonstrated exceptional support of United Way for a significant period of time.
With decades of support to United Way, we are thrilled to present City of Welland with the Longstanding Service Award. For more than 20 years, the City of Welland has demonstrated an outstanding level of commitment to the community through their United Way campaign. They have made better possible through payroll contributions, raffles and memorable events, helping United Way respond to the diverse and ever-changing needs of the community. Congratulations!
Municipal Challenge
The Municipal Challenge, initiated by past Lord Mayor Patrick Darte of Niagara-on-the-Lake, was designed to encourage municipalities to participate in their workplace campaigns. The competition between municipalities engages employees to increase participation in the United Way campaign. The municipality with the highest participation rate in employee giving wins the challenge.
We are thrilled to announce that the 2022 Municipal Challenge Winner is the Town of Fort Erie! With the support of Mayor Wayne Redekop and a motivated group of employees, Town of Fort Erie was able to reach a participation rate of 49%.
Unsung Hero Award
The Unsung Hero Award is presented to an organization or individual that has demonstrated a quiet ongoing commitment to United Way.
United Way is honoured to present the Unsung Hero Award to The Brown Homestead and Humeniuk Foundation! The Brown Homestead and Humeniuk Foundation’s commitment to United Way and the Niagara community has been exemplary. In particular, their significant commitment through the COVID-19 Emergency Response fund where they pledged $100,000 to match donations and most recently, addressing food security in Niagara with their support of the Niagara Community Garden Network.
