Weyburn’s United Way organization took the unusual step of dissolving as a group after over 50 years of serving the city and area as an umbrella, providing a fundraising option for their member agencies as they in turn provided programs and services to residents in the Weyburn area.
It would be too easy to just dismiss the action as a sign of the times, and blame the poor economy for making this a necessary move.
What people need to realize is, they should not give up on supporting the United Way’s member agencies. The agencies are still in place, and are still serving the people of Weyburn and area in many and various ways.
They were generously supported by the United Way with the final disbursement of assets of the organization — but that is not the end of United Way’s involvement in Weyburn.
What is important to know is, there will still be a volunteer committee in place who will be organizing the Communithon, which will continue to be in place to raise funds. The only thing that’s changed is that the governance body of the local United Way has closed, with the idea that the United Way in Regina will take over for the Weyburn area.
To those who attend and support the Communithon each year, they should not see any difference in the event. This telethon will continue to offer live entertainment on the Cugnet Centre stage, and it will continue to be shown by Access on the community channel.
There will continue to be a need for local volunteers to do the announcing, to help with the school groups and other entertainment, to operate the cameras and to take donations at the door.
For anyone who wants to continue volunteering to help out organizing or being involved in the Communithon fundraiser, there will be a meeting to plan and discuss the event on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. in the Weyburn Credit Union’s Community Room.
The volunteer committee will be open to any ideas about how the telethon can be improved, or anything new that people might want to try to make the Communithon fun and entertaining.
The bottom line will be the same as always: the member agencies are continuing on to serve area residents, and need the support of Weyburn and area. Consider the valuable work each group does — they are worthy of your continued support.
