Accepting the Spirit of North Carolina Award on behalf of the City of Asheboro are, from left, John Ogburn, Eddie Cockman, Kristen Terry, Todd Swaney, Myers Johnson, John Evans, Steve Paye, Michele Dawes, Jimmy Cagle, Brian Hauk and Celia Craven.

Accepting the award from Randolph Hospital are, front from left, Cindy Leonard, Leigh Anna Johnson, Brenda Fales, Clista Frazier, and back, from left, Steve Eblin, and Chasity Gover.
         

A pair of Randolph County United Way supporters, the City of Asheboro and Randolph Hospital, received Spirit of North Carolina Awards Friday for their 2012 United Way campaigns.

The awards were presented in Pinehurst during the United Way of North Carolina's annual meeting and awards luncheon.

"These awards are a first for our community," said Will Massie, United Way of Randolph County's board president. "These accomplishments are something the entire community can celebrate. We are proud of our donor support and what our local service partners are able to accomplish through our local campaigns. The commitment all our businesses and industries make to support our local partners is exceptional."

The Spirit of North Carolina Awards for Campaign Excellence is sponsored annually by the United Way of North Carolina to provide statewide recognition for outstanding commitment and support to communities through local United Way involvement.

The awards were developed to recognize companies and their employees that demonstrate campaign excellence and community commitment. The Spirit committee judged 70 submissions from top companies, organizations, governmental entities, healthcare and educational institutions, as well as businesses large and small.

This year's awards were presented to 43 companies and organizations. Judges considered a variety of criteria, including leadership giving, volunteerism, employee participation and giving levels, year-round education, corporate support, incentive programs and campaign rallies.

A press release from the United Way of Randolph County details the winning local campaigns:

* The City of Asheboro's campaign has grown exponentially over the last six years, under the leadership of City Manager John Ogburn. Based on his belief that "a rising tide lifts all boats," Ogburn has fostered a unique culture of community involvement and a spirit of giving among city workers.

"The city sees itself as a community partner and continually partners with the United Way, other nonprofits, and schools, businesses, and industries, to make a difference in the quality of life throughout our community. This campaign exemplifies our 'community spirit' and is one of the reasons why our city is such a great place to live."

* The Randolph Hospital campaign, under the leadership of CEO Steve Eblin, had an exceptional campaign in 2012. His new motto of "We WILL do better!" paid off with their campaign.

Randolph Hospital has been a community partner and strong corporate citizen for 81 years. As a community hospital serving Randolph County and surrounding areas, the hospital is keenly aware of its leadership role and its responsibility to support the community it serves, according to a press release.

For their campaign, they did some fun activities to raise money."Detail My Car" rewarded employees who gave $10 per pay period or more with a detail job for their car by all five Randolph Hospital vice presidents. "Pie the CEO Campaign Finale" allowed departments with 50 percent participation to throw cream pies at the CEO. With these efforts, their campaign rose significantly to one of the top 10 in the county.

"People need to know that United Way does more than just raise money," Massie said. "It is a community contributor that helps to focus resources towards our area's most urgent needs. It is an agency that continually looks for opportunities to add value and service to the county that we serve."