By David A. Sargent,Special to the Sun Journal

AUBURN – A tally of early pledges puts United Way of Androscoggin County fund-raising at about 15 percent of its $1,741,000 goal for 2005.

Volunteers from dozens of area businesses and agencies heard that report from Jeff Gosselin, campaign chairman, at the 2005 Kick Off Breakfast at Martindale Country Club Thursday morning.

This year’s United Way goal is about 2 percent greater than last year’s goal.

Gosselin, who is vice president of commercial lending at TD Banknorth in Lewiston, said leaders of the campaign “cabinet,” which consists of several divisions, are charged with raising the remainder of the goal. The largest of these is the commerce division headed by Mark Paquette of Androscoggin Bank and Dick Albert of Parent Insurance. They are going after $875,000.

Other division leaders and their goals are:

Francine Anstey of Turner, education division, $41,000, individual division, $32,000, and commerce division, $875,000; Paula Paladino, non-profits division, $63,000; Maureen Aube, Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce, local government, $50,000; Roxanne Salatino of Gorham, Bank of America, finance, insurance and real estate division, $278,000; David Wightman of Austin Associates and Marc Frenette of Skelton, Taintor and Abbott, professionals division, $60,000; Diane Mulkhay of Central Maine Medical Center, health care division, $170,000; Pat and Patti Butler of Butler Bros., leadership circle division, $525,000; Peter Steele, Twin City Times, local business division, $14,000; and United Way staff and loaned executives, area towns division, $3,000.

A first-hand account of the effectiveness of United Way agencies was delivered at the breakfast meeting by Patrick Catherwood of Lewiston. He told how alcoholism took a drastic toll on his life for 10 years from the age of 14 until nearly a year ago when he accepted help from Catholic Charities of Maine and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and their St. Francis House.

“I had burned every bridge I had” before moving to Maine, Catherwood said. He praised the help he received and the United Way contributions that made it possible.

Tory Ryden, television news anchor at News 8 WMTW, was keynote speaker for the breakfast. She emphasized that United Way helps agencies that “see you through your entire lifetime from birth to senior years.”

To United Way staff and volunteers, she said, “You’re the feet, you’re the eyes and the hands of the community.”

Jolene Bedard, executive director of United Way of Androscoggin County, told the crowd at the breakfast, “When people are in need, we all come together.” She emphasized that aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina has already flowed from area agencies such as the Good Shepherd Food Bank, and she said all the member agencies always stand ready to help local people day by day or, if the need should arise, to combat a disaster such as the Ice Storm of 1998.

She urged generous giving to the United Way campaign to assure continued strength of the local agencies for possible disasters close to home, as well as elsewhere in the nation.

Many volunteers at the breakfast wore “Day of Caring” t-shirts. The special shirts signified that 145 of them would spend the day in various “sweat equity” community services such as painting at homes where maintenance is needed and stocking food pantry shelves.

United Way of Androscoggin County partners with more than 30 health and human service organizations.

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