Rally for the Valley to fund UW

YOUNGSTOWN — Five area United Ways are having the third annual Rally for the Valley from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesday.

That day, the United Ways of Mahoning, Trumbull, and Northern Columbiana counties in Ohio, and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania, will conduct a business blitz and phone-a-thon in an effort to wrap up their 2007 campaigns.

From 8 until 10 that evening, the United Way Rally for the Valley telethon will be aired live on WYTV. Collectively, the five United Ways have raised $4,961,599, or 75 percent of their combined $6.6 million goal — meaning they are a combined $500,000 short of their goals.

Current local economic conditions fueled by downsizing, layoffs and plant closings have taken a toll on giving to the local United Way campaigns.

“We are joining together in this unified effort to help people right here at home in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys,” said JoAnn Stock, Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way director of marketing and resource development, and coordinator of the five-county effort.

For the complete story, see Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.