The ORNL total of $824,468 -- the largest for any campaign in the region -- includes employee contributions of more than three quarters of a million dollars, plus a corporate donation of $73,630 by ORNL managing contractor UT-Battelle. The figure represents an increase over last year's donations, even though the number of ORNL staff members has decreased slightly.
"With the results of the UT-Battelle United Way campaign shared today it is apparent that ORNL employees and management have exceeded their previous charitable giving levels," said Ben Landers, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Knoxville. "UT-Battelle is the largest single contributor to the several United Ways serving the Tennessee Valley. This is an incredible demonstration of caring for others. There are tens of thousands of people in our region who benefit from United Way-supported agencies, and because of the generosity of the good folks at ORNL, vital health and human services will continue to help people in need. We can't say thank you enough."
Scott Branham, ORNL campaign chairman, lauded the lab employees' generosity.
"During a year when they have been involved in dozens of volunteer service projects for worthy causes in our area, they also have come forward with the financial resources to make this a record year for United Way giving," Branham said. "Not only did we surpass last year's total of $800,000, but we exceeded our campaign goal by more than $70,000. I'm extremely proud of and grateful to our staff."
Special activities ? including book fairs and the popular International Festival ? added nearly $12,000 to this year's campaign coffers.
The ORNL donations include the following approximate amounts to counties in the region: Anderson, $263,000; Blount, $19,000; Campbell, $9,000; Knox, $335,000; Loudon, $40,000; McMinn, $1,900; Monroe, $4,000; Morgan, $28,000; Roane, $106,000; Sevier, $3,000; Union, $4,000.
UT-Battelle began managing ORNL, a multiprogram science and technology laboratory, for the Department of Energy in April 2000. The corporation has since donated more than $6.2 million to area and regional organizations in support of science and math education, economic development, civic programs, arts and culture, and volunteerism.