The United Way of Freeborn County ended its annual fundraising campaign on Friday, about $60,000 short of the need.

The goal for the 2010 campaign was set at $650,000 last spring. As of Thursday afternoon, the United Way had reached approximately $590,000.

“This has been a difficult year for the community and people have really stepped up to help their neighbors,” said Freeborn County United Way Executive Director Ann Austin. “We are so thankful for the gifts we have received and we will do the best we can with what we have.”

United Way of Freeborn County supports programs in the area which help people to achieve their best quality of life. People receive services such as education, job coaching, health services, counseling, transportation, crisis response and essential needs such as shelter and food.

Special events throughout the 2010 campaign, which kicked off in September, helped in striving toward the $650,000 goal. United Way raised more than $3,500 during its annual Keep the Fires Burning event on Oct. 29. The Fountain Warehouse Liquor Wine Tasting, held Nov. 5, raised another $4,148 for the campaign.

Austin said the following businesses all contributed amounts above what they’ve contributed to the campaign in the past: Albert Lea Select Foods, Mrs. Gerry’s, Alliance Benefit Group, Innovance, Larson Manufacturing, Farmers State Bank, Streeter, UPS and IBM. In addition, Freeborn-Mower Cooperative got 100 percent participation for third year in a row.

She said the campaign was not immune to the struggling effects of the economy, as wage and hiring freezes had an affect on people’s abilities to give.

“It’s been such a crazy year and there were a lot of great causes with disaster responses and individuals having difficult times, we really didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “We are so thankful for the fact that we do have a very giving community.”

She also wanted to thank all of the volunteers for their time and efforts with the campaign.

The local agency has already started looking ahead to 2011, and is confident that plans for a long-awaited youth battle of the bands event will be in the plans next spring.