CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands, April 5 – The United Way of St. Thomas-St. John membership met on April 1, 2005 at Pilgrim Terrace restaurant to learn of the organization’s accomplishments in 2004 and plan for the United Way’s new year.

Steve Baker, co-chair of the 2005 Campaign, announced that the annual fundraising drive closed at $753,000 with pledges still coming in. He said that “in light of the many challenges faced by volunteers, this was a remarkable campaign.”

Highlights of the campaign included:

• Five companies increased their employees gifts by more than 50% over the previous year: Banco Popular, Caneel Bay Resort, Caribbean Auto Mart, West Indian Company and Westin Resort.
• Seven companies initiated employee campaigns: Azura by Jewels, Jewels, Golden Eagle Financial, the deJongh Group, International Capital & Management, PriceSmart and UBS Financial. These companies join 120 other organizations that conduct employee campaigns in support of United Way.
• Fifty-five individuals joined The Pacesetters (individuals contributing $500 or more) for a total number of 190 members.

Along with the “50 Plus Companies” the top ten employee campaigns were recognized at the annual meeting. The “Top Ten” were ADT, Atlantic Tele-Network, Austin Advertising, Dial-A-Ride St. Thomas, Dudley, Clark & Chan, Dudley, Topper and Feuerzeig, LLP, Lockhart Realty, Sea Chest, Seslia Securities, and Theodore Tunick & Company.

“Thanks to the hard work of the campaign volunteers and the thousands of generous donors, United Way’s 13 member agencies will receive their full allocations and be eligible for additional support through the Agency Emergency and the Technical Assistance funds,” said Adosha Francis, chair of the Allocations Committee. Approximately $535,000 will be available for distribution to programs that help young people succeed, build self-sufficiency, maximize independence, and provide crisis intervention.

Incoming president Raymond Green in his taped remarks pledged to “promote the humanitarian values of the United Way” while building on the achievements of past presidents. Green is the Vice President and Operations Manager at Banco Popular.

The three other new officers elected for this year are vice president Adosha Francis, certified public accountant; secretary Donna deJongh, architect and partner in the deJongh Group; and treasurer Gershwain Sprauve, Corporate Secretary of the West Indian Company.

Elected to serve three years as members of the United Way’s board of directors were: Bob Austin, president of Moxie Marketing; Attorney Rosalie Ballentine; Beverly Chongasing, Corporate Vice President of Human Resources, Innovative Communication Corporation; Cecile de Jongh, Manager of Financial Trust Company; Richard Doumeng, Managing Director of Bolongo Bay Beach Club; Jeri Flood, marketing consultant; Cheryl George-Chance, Office Manager for Belgravia Partners, LP; Attorney Hugh Mabe, III; Shawn Raimer, sales representative at Caribbean Auto Mart; and Peter Van Schie, Vice President of the V.I. Bank of Nova Scotia.

Every dollar raised by the United Way stays in the community to support the following agencies: American Red Cross, V.I. Council of Boy Scouts of America, Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands, Civil Air Patrol, Downstreet People’s Youth in Action, Dial-A-Ride St. John, Dial-A-Ride St. Thomas, Ebenezer Gardens, Legal Services of the Virgin Islands, Lutheran Reformation Summer Program, St. Thomas Reformed Church Summer Program, V.I. Institute for Teaching and Learning, and the Yellow Cedar Group Home.

Photos of the 2005 Campaign Wrap Up
Taken April 1, 2005

Click on any image to see a larger view.