Angie Eggum and Karol Held, Touch a Life

Angie Eggum: It&8217;s hard to believe this year is almost over! We&8217;ve collected 99.3 percent of our goal, and our job is almost over with seven days left to collect the remaining $3,943. What a year! I will continuously be in awe at the generosity of our community. There is no doubt in my mind that we will meet the need for 2008.

Karol Held: I agree. Let&8217;s take a look at the past year, and the things we&8217;ve learned. What surprised you the most?

Angie: I think it has to be the people. People never cease to amaze me, but this time it was in a positive way! The volunteers, donors and citizens in this county don&8217;t rest. It&8217;s overwhelming to see such hard workers. How about you?

Karol: For me, it was the variety of services available in this county. First of all, I was astounded by the programs that are available. But also, I was amazed by the number of people who are helped. Did you know that Freeborn County has 31,000 residents, and last year, the United Way helped 21,000 of them in one way or another?

Angie: As a matter of fact, I have heard that, but it is incredible to think of the numbers of people whose lives are touched by such a small but powerful organization. What is your most powerful memory of the past year?

Karol: I think I was most touched standing on the corner of Bridge Street and Marshall during the Keep the Fires Burning event. A car pulled up, and the small children in the car emptied their piggy banks into my bucket. That was a really powerful (and cold) day for me! How about you?

Angie: That really was a good day &8212; I remember the high school kids who stopped and emptied their pockets for me. I felt bad, because it was probably their lunch money, but the smiles on their faces stayed with me all day.

Karol: Did you think we were going to meet our goal?

Angie: I had my doubts. In the beginning I was sure we&8217;d come close. But there were definitely times that I questioned the feasibility of raising that much money. I never doubted the people and their willingness to help, but I didn&8217;t know if the money was there. You?

Karol: Before the campaign began, a friend took me out for coffee to give me a few pointers. He gave me some encouraging words, and made me believe that this goal was attainable. Anytime I was discouraged, I remembered his faith in Freeborn County, and the generosity of its residents. It kept me optimistic. What was your goal going into this?

Angie: I have said from the beginning that I strongly believe that if everyone in Freeborn County knew what the United Way stands for, and what they do every day, we would have no trouble making our goal. My goal was education.

Karol: You came into this knowing more about the United Way than I did. My goal was to visit every agency, and find out what they did, and how they spend the money they get from the United Way. What a humbling experience to find out about all of the good going on in Freeborn County that I was totally unaware of.

Angie: I thought I knew a lot more about the United Way than it turned out. I was really impressed to learn about programs like the one that Semcac offers. The fact that they have four fully furnished apartments available for people who are in need is incredible. I had no idea.

Karol: Another thing that inspired me was the people working in industries who responded to our requests for help. The people we visited in the workplace who were willing to have money taken out of their paychecks to help people in need are the backbone of our drive &8212;

Angie: Oh, I know! I knew that employee campaigns were important, but Wow! The amount of money that was raised by these campaigns made up the majority of the money we collected! It was really fun going to those businesses during their in-house campaigns. They get pretty creative! What do you think was the biggest contributor in helping us to get this close to our goal?

Karol: Absolutely it was the group of volunteers who went into the businesses, residences, schools, and nursing homes to ask for contributions. Our cabinet was so dependable; I think they reached every person in Freeborn County. And all of the publicity we received didn&8217;t hurt.

Angie: You&8217;re right. I have never felt so famous! Between the Tribune, the radio stations, and the local TV stations, we have been visible every step of this campaign. The United Way has been really lucky to have the support of our local media; it has helped our campaign immensely.

Karol: Although I wasn&8217;t too impressed with the shot of me from the backside bowling, I&8217;ve really appreciated their help as well!

Angie: It&8217;s been quite a year. Are you glad we did it?

Karol: Yes, I am. We worked hard, but before we started this I didn&8217;t ever imagine that so many people could touch so many lives. I am grateful to live in Freeborn County. So, Ang, what&8217;s next for you?

Angie: Time will tell. First, I&8217;d better give my husband a break, then we&8217;ll see what I can talk you into next. What do you say? Let&8217;s &8220;Touch a Life.&8221;

Angie Eggum and Karol Held are the chairwomen for the 2007 United Way of Freeborn County campaign.