AUBURN – With a goal of raising $1.8 million, volunteer representatives of large and small businesses and agencies throughout the area got their marching orders at the 2003 Kick-Off Breakfast of the United Way of Androscoggin County Wednesday morning.

The campaign raised $1.7 million last year, and the new challenge aims for $100,000 more. It’s an increase of more than 5 percent.

The meeting took place at Auburn’s new Hilton Garden Inn.

Mark Anthoine of Healey and Associates, campaign chairman, emphasized the importance of the many ways volunteers participate in the campaign. He recognized leaders of campaign divisions and loaned executives as well as United Way staff members

“For some companies, the campaign has already begun. We call those our Pacesetter companies,” Anthoine said. He told the volunteers that 12 percent of the $1.8 million goal has already been raised by these companies.

Among the Pacesetters are Advocates for Children, General Electric, L.L. Bean, Liberty Mutual, J.C. Penney, Rural Community Action Ministry, Sandcastle Pre-School, Sisters of Charity Health System, UPS and Wal-Mart.

“All told, that’s close to $215,000 already committed to this year’s campaign,” he said.

“We want to encourage people in any way we can to open their hearts in order to give a piece of their hard-earned wages back to the community through the United Way,” Anthoine said.

Anthoine also thanked WGME-TV, Channel 13, for producing a campaign video. Lucas Colavecchio, area reporter for Channel 13, introduced the video which was shown on a large screen.

Auburn City Manager Patricia Finnigan, chairman of the United Way of Androscoggin County board of directors, told the volunteers, “it’s fitting that we kick off this campaign in this kind of facility because it does show the kind of investment taking place in Androscoggin County.”

“While bricks and mortar are things that we can see, our mission is investing in people and their needs,” she added.

“It is the people that matter,” Finnigan said. “What matters is supporting families and children in our communities, keeping teens on track, maintaining elder independence. What matters is maintaining a healthy and safe community for our citizens, increasing people’s self-sufficiency and being there for people in times of crisis.

“That, in a nutshell is what the 29 member agencies of United Way and the 30,000 people they serve are all about,” she said.

Charles Johnson, president of United Way of Androscoggin County, presented a special award to Dottie Perham-Whittier, community relations coordinator for the city of Lewiston. She was named the first recipient of the Jim Phillips Award. The award was created last year in remembrance of Phillips, manager of J.C. Penney, who died of cancer not long after his service as campaign chairman. Johnson said it recognizes an individual who typifies the United Way’s mission to increase the organized capacity of people in Androscoggin County to care for one another. He listed numerous community service in which Perham-Whittier has played a role.

The organization’s Day of Caring also took place Wednesday. A number of volunteers wearing special T-shirts set out after the meeting to spend some time fixing up homes in the Twin Cities where their help is needed.