SEQUIM — The United Way of Clallam County will kick off its annual community campaign at Club 7 in 7 Cedars at 11 a.m. today.
The annual ‘Celebrate United’ event at the casino at 270756 U.S. Highway 101 will offer champagne, photo opportunities, mingling and swag bags full of local goods followed by a brunch catered by 7 Cedars and gourmet champagne cupcakes from That Takes the Cake.
Keynote speaker Nash Fung — a Seattle magician, inspirational speaker and community volunteer — will give a presentation during the meal, using magic and storytelling.
The cost for the event covers the meal and tickets are available for $80 or $150 for two. A direct link to the event webpage can be found at https://www.unitedwayclallam.org/celebrate-united.
“This event is a chance for the community to dress up, have fun and connect for a common goal of making a real lasting impact in our community” said Jaycie Wakefield, development director for United Way.
The theme this year for United Way’s campaign is Together We Can.
“With the cost of food, gas and shelter rising, many people in our community are struggling to keep up,” said CEO Christy Smith.
“Without additional support, members of our community are becoming food insecure, unable to complete necessary travel or even at risk of losing their homes. It is our mission to stop that before it happens.”
Each year United Way of Clallam County officials identifies the community’s most critical needs and the organization raises funds to put into effect ways to improve the lives of people living in Clallam County.
Working with local nonprofits, partners and the public, the agency works to serve more than 46,600 people in the region. Last year, United Way of Clallam County raised over $1.4 million to put back into the community, said Wakefield.
“Last year was a great example of how we came together to build success,” she said.
“We started our Community Impact Program which aims to provide funding to those who need it most. Our Resilience Project continued to teach community members about best practices around trauma informed care, we increased our event revenue by 479 percent by hosting signature events, and we launched an affinity group called Women United; a safe space for all women to uplift and support one another.
“We are really excited to see how much we can accomplish this year,” she said.
Celebrate United is sponsored by 7 Cedars, That Takes the Cake, First Fed, Platypus Marine, Callis Insurance, DA Davidson, Olympic Peninsula Stone, Bibity Bobity Childcare, and Edward Jones financial advisors, Jennifer Ciarlo and Tyler Johnson. Event logistics are supported by a several local businesses including Keith’s Frame of Mind, Sequim Bee Farm, So So Sweet by Ashley, Kindred Collective, B&B Lavender Farm, and more. “Highly distinguishable events such as Celebrate United would not be possible without the generosity of local sponsors and a caring community willing to help us make positive lasting changes in our community,” says Wakefield.
For more information about this event, visit unitedwayclallam.org or contact Wakefield at jaycie@unitedwayclallam.org or 360-457-3011.
