Road department kicks off United Way efforts

The Jackson County Road and Bridge department raised $7,200 for the United Way at its annual event last weekend. That’s about $2,000 more than last year.
Held at the Citizen’s Lodge park on Caverns Road, it’s tough to say what aspect of it raised the most money.
Department superintendent Al Green cooked his increasingly famous private recipe chili, selling 588 bowls to account for almost $3,000 of the final count. Last year, about 325 bowls were sold.
Many people also donated $1 for a ticket that put them in the running to receive a power tool set or a four-burner gas grill.
The auction caught other people’s attention, with the opportunity to scoop up some big savings.
A donated truckload of milling worth about $500, for instance, was auctioned off for about $250.
The auction also gave people an opportunity to pick up one-of-a-kind articles, like a porch swing made of locally harvested cypress and hand-made by a local craftsman.
Some saved their money for the pie-in-the-face event, where Green and several other county employees sacrificed themselves for the cause. Green got hit with a chocolate cream pie, himself.
“It got a little messy near the end,” he said of the pie event. “But it was good.”
County Administrator Ted Lakey, Emergency Management Director Rodney Andreasen, Fire Rescue Chief Tony Wesley, Community Development Director Joan Schairer, Jackson County Administrative Services Director Pam Pichard, and Parks and Recreation Director Chuck Hatcher were among the willing victims.
“We had a good time, and the volunteers and my staff here at the road department deserve all the credit; they did all the work,” Green said.
For instance, employee James Brooks cooked 55 cakes and 12 pecan pies to auction off for the event. Other employees heavily involved included Karen Indingaro, Carrie Williams, Libby Dilmore and Gail Laramore.
Green, who is chairman of this year’s local United Way effort,  said the department has already booked the Lodge for next year’s United Way event. It’s set for Nov. 5, he said.
Overall, the local fundraising goal for 2009 is $50,000, plus $35,000 from state sources, for a grand total of $85,000.
All the money raised locally goes to about 20 helping organizations that operate in Jackson County.