Campaign 2000 Chairman Mike Callas announced that the goal for this year's campaign is $1.7 million. He said $463,000, or 27 percent of the goal, has already been pledged.
Last year's campaign brought in $1.65 million.
The Ninth Day of Caring attracted teams from Allegheny Power, Allfirst, Callas Contractors, Citicorp, Columbia Gas, Department of Labor Licensing and Regulations, F&M Bank, First Data, Fujicolor Processing, Girl Scouts, Hagerstown Exchange Club, Hagerstown Trust, Lenox, Review and Herald Publishing, St. Lawrence Cement, Sunrise Rotary, UPS, and Washington County Health Services.
At Girls Inc., First Data volunteers were doing windows, planting, painting, putting in tile and spreading mulch.
"I figured I could be helpful," said Rob Dawson, who said this was his first year to join a Day of Caring team.
Also a novice, Cindy Novotny said she wanted to help out and was doing so by recording the day's activities with two cameras.
Other First Data team members working at Girls Inc. were Jackie Gemmell, Sharon Martin, Melanie Oliver, Darla Knight, Dave Manning, Judy Kridler, Tracy Morrow, Debbie Hines, Terry Hopkinson, and Mary Ann Snyder.
Another volunteer group representing Columbia Gas of Maryland arrived at the Washington County Commission of Aging at the Alexander House just in time to serve Meals-On-Wheels to about 40 clients.
"This is my first time serving on a food line," said Teresa Muck who joined her husband, John, on the Columbia Gas team. "John did it last year so I signed up too."
Clients like Nellie Jacobs were happy to acknowledge the attention on the United Way's Day of Caring.
"Lets have a big hand for the Columbia Gas volunteers," Jacobs said.
Additional Columbia Gas team members serving and cleaning up were Eldon Brown and Rhonda McDaniel, who was chair of the Day of Caring effort.
The United Way program gave some regular volunteers a break Wednesday.
Isaac Doleman goes to the Alexander House every day to help with Meals-On-Wheels.
"I enjoy the company and I like to help out," said Doleman. "And while I'm here, I eat too."
Doleman, 82, said he feels he needs to give back as much and as often as he can because he knows how important help can be.
Describing himself as "handy," Eric Roper got a chance to prove that Wednesday during the United Way of Washington County's Day of Caring.
