WakeUnited campaign kickoff: Work United for WakeUnited in 2016

September 22, 2016

WakeUnited Campaign Kickoff: Work United for WakeUnited

Guest post by Roger Beahm, the 2016 chair of WakeUnited, professor of practice in the School of Business, and WestRock Executive Director of the Center for Retail Innovation

Roger Beahm

All members of our Wake Forest community are cordially invited to participate in our WakeUnited 2016 Campaign Kickoff on Tuesday, September 27, at 4:00 pm in the Reynolda Hall Green Room during the Provost’s Happy Hour for faculty and staff. WakeUnited is the University’s annual United Way campus campaign to benefit those in greatest need in our community and the surrounding area.

At the kickoff, President Nathan O. Hatch, Provost Rogan Kersh, and I will share briefly on why the United Way is such an important part of our community, our University and our pro humanitate spirit. Afterward, we will enjoy food, beverage and fellowship with colleagues – as well as a chance to experience the school’s new demonstration pavilion (“What’s that?” you ask. Well, come join us, and see!).

The United Way brings together local organizations, agencies, and individuals to work together to address the root causes of our most pressing social issues. Click here to watch a brief video about United Way.

Donations to WakeUnited directly support our community-wide efforts to:

Raise local high school graduation rates
Decrease chronic homelessness
Increase financial stability
Increase access to healthcare among those in greatest need.

Our United Way campaign also allows you to designate your WakeUnited pledge to your local United Way, even if you live outside of Forsyth County.

Work United for WakeUnited…and WIN!

This year’s WakeUnited campaign will feature a weekly drawing for prizes, as well as a department participation challenge. By making your pledge during our fall campaign, you will have the opportunity to win:

Visa gift cards ($50 and $100)
Tickets (4) to the WFU v. Radford basketball game
Tickets (2) to the President’s Box for the WFU v. Clemson football game
A “Wake-Up United Breakfast” for the department(s) showing the greatest gain over last year (sponsored in partnership with the Pro Humanitate Institute and the Office of Wellbeing).

In addition, you can enter our 2016 WakeUnited weekly social media contest by sharing photos on social media using the hashtag #WAKEUNITED16. Winners will be selected at random, and will receive special Wake Forest themed prizes you can’t get anywhere else!

For more information about this year’s campaign, visit http://unitedway.wfu.edu. Thanks for helping us Work United for WakeUnited in 2016.

Categories: Guest Post

WakeUnited Campaign raises $350,000 to benefit United Way

January 19, 2016

The Wake Forest community successfully concluded the 2015 WakeUnited Campaign in December, raising $350,000 to benefit the United Way of Forsyth County. WakeUnited is the University’s annual campus campaign, which runs during the month of October each year.

The United Way brings together local organizations, agencies, and individuals to work together for the benefit of all in Forsyth County. Donations to the annual campaign support the United Way’s community-wide efforts to:

Raise the local high school graduation rate
Decrease chronic homelessness
Increase financial stability
Increase access to health care and quality of life

Individuals can also give to the non-profit, human service agency of their choice through United Way of Forsyth County. As well, this year the United Way unveiled its new “Place Matters” initiative, a resident-led initiative to target investments where they are most needed in our community.

This year’s WakeUnited Campaign featured a collaboration with the Pro Humanitate Institute and the Office of Wellbeing; together these offices helped to sponsor the 2016 Champion Challenge to encourage participation in the campaign. “Team Taylor,” comprised of staff from Facilities and Campus Services, blew the competition out of the water with over 90 percent participation in the campaign. Additionally, this year’s campaign featured weekly drawings for raffle prizes through the “16 in ’16” challenge; prizes were awarded to Emily Neese, Jessica Sheedy, Tim Pyatt, and the grand prize went to Patrick Sullivan. Congrats to all!

Allison McWilliams, director of mentoring and alumni personal and career development, and the chair of this year’s campaign, notes that the investment that Wake Forest staff and faculty make each year in the WakeUnited campaign extends beyond the actual dollars raised: “By supporting the United Way’s work in Forsyth County, we are acknowledging that Wake Forest does not just exist in this community, we are part of it. Its successes and challenges are ours, as well. I could not be more humbled by and grateful for the generosity of our colleagues at Wake Forest.”

The 2016 WakeUnited Campaign chair is Roger Beahm, professor of the practice in marketing and WestRock Executive Director, Center for Retail Innovation. For more information about the WakeUnited campaign, visit http://unitedway.wfu.edu.

Categories: University Announcement

WakeUnited: Live United Roger Beahm

February 9, 2015

After 15 years as a United Way volunteer, Roger Beahm, professor of practice in marketing at the School of Business, is vice chair of the WakeUnited campaign for 2015.

Beahm first became involved by serving as a volunteer on the marketing committee for United Way of Forsyth County, subsequently served on the executive board of United Way of Guilford County and for nine years was a member of the board of directors of United Way of North Carolina.

“I first got involved with United Way because the company where I began my career (Procter & Gamble) believed in the United Way and its mission,” says Beahm. “I feel the most important thing United Way does is bring positive change to people’s lives through programs that touch our community in the three most critical areas: education, financial stability and healthy lives.”

Beahm says people contribute to the United Way for three reasons:

Categories: Faculty News