Gibson Insurance Raises $17,570 for United Way Campaign

"Chair race" contestants pictured (left to right): Greg Downes, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Keith Stone, Principal, CFO & COO, and Tim Leman, President.

PLYMOUTH (10/28/09) - Gibson Insurance raised $17,570.00 for the United Way of Marshall County campaign at their annual all employee meeting on August 21st at The Feast in Lakeville. Employees pledged or contributed $14,945.00 to the 2009 campaign and the company also pledged a corporate contribution of $2,500.

Gibson Insurance has volunteered to serve as a Pacesetter Company for the United Way campaign for many years. A Pacesetter company agrees to hold their internal employee campaign early and agrees to reach specified targets. This year Pacesetters were challenged to: 1) Conduct an internal employee campaign between 7/20/09 – 9/1/09 and; 2) Increase their corporate gift by 10% and; 3) Increase the number of new contributors by 10% or increase total employee giving by 5%.

In addition to serving as a Pacesetter Company for many years, Gibson Insurance has been honored for the past 13 years (since 1996) with the Largest Per Capita Giver in Marshall County Award. To win the award the total employee contribution is divided by the total number of employees in the company to arrive at the amount per employee. Gibson Insurance employees have always been generous to the programs and services funded by the United Way of Marshall County.

In addition to turning in their pledges at the company meeting on August 21st employees also placed bets on the outcome of a "chair race." Three senior employees agreed to complete an obstacle course while seated. Contestants were required to weave around small orange cones along the length of the room, then throw wadded paper into wastepaper baskets until they made a goal, then return to the starting line. The first to complete the course was declared the winner.

All proceeds from the "chair race" were donated to the 2009 United Way campaigns in Marshall and St. Joseph counties. Gibson Insurance added an additional $124.50 to their total for Marshall County. The United Way of Marshall County extends its sincere thanks to Gibson Insurance for setting the pace for the 2009 campaign.