SOUTHEAST MISSOURI – United Ways around the world celebrate June 21st – the longest day of the year – as United Day of Caring.
To involve the local community in this global event, United Way of Southeast Missouri (UWSEMO) is launching its first annual Workplace Wonder Competition, complete with a traveling trophy!
For the first annual competition, United Way is challenging community members and participating businesses, or “Workplace Wonders,” to collect nonperishable, nonexpired food items in a communitywide food drive.
Where applicable, Workplace Wonders are asked to encourage their clients and customers to participate.
UWSEMO will kick off the food drive on Wednesday, June 7 at the United Way WINSday Cape Catfish game against Danville.
The competition will culminate on United Day of Caring at the June 21 United Way WINSday Cape Catfish game against the Burlington Bees.
Everyone bringing at least three nonperishable, nonexpired food items to the Catfish game on the 21st will receive a coupon for free Dairy Queen ice cream or Kidd’s popcorn available at the game. The winning Workplace Wonder will be announced via Facebook from the ballgame.
“Many working families get by during the school year with school lunch and backpack programs. The summer months are the hardest for local families and food pantries when donations aren’t as abundant. We thought this would be a fun way to bring attention and relief to a very serious problem,” explains Elizabeth Shelton, Executive Director of United Way of Southeast Missouri.
This year’s Workplace Wonder Competition will benefit UWSEMO’s partners with food pantries and nutrition programs in every county UWSEMO serves. Recipients are in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City, Patton, and Perryville.
At the end of the competition, Workplace Wonders will deliver collected food items to their nearest United Way-funded nutrition partner. Community members also are asked to bring food items to the UWSEMO office or to any of the participating nutrition partners listed on UWSEMO’s website.
The participating business that collects the most items per employee will receive bragging rights and the brand-new traveling Workplace Wonder Award to display for the entire year, presented in a celebration Shelton promises will be “worthy of the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes!”
Current participating workplaces include the Cape, Jackson, and Perryville locations of The Bank of Missouri, the Cape and Jackson locations of Commerce Bank and First State Community Bank, as well as Century Casino and First Missouri State Bank in Cape Girardeau.
All participating workplaces will be featured in United Way’s social media and website. Participants will also receive a “We Support United Way” yard sign and a marketing toolkit to help promote the food drive.
If your business or organization is interested in becoming a Workplace Wonder, please visit unitedwayofsemo.org/dayofcaring/ or call 573-334-9634.