A few weeks ago, we expressed our gratitude to you for your generosity to the North Kitsap Bellringer fund, which exceeded its $25,000 goal by a healthy margin.

Now there’s even more good news to celebrate. The United Way of Kitsap County has exceeded all previous campaign records, raising $1,666,500 during their annual campaign. United Way donations are up 10 percent from last year’s.

What’s amazing about this generous giving is “when” it happened. The United Way campaign kicked off just a few days before the tragedies of Sept. 11. Nobody knew what the impact would be on families, jobs or the national economy. Kitsap families were generous in funding relief efforts for victims of terrorist attacks. Organizers weren’t sure how many dollars would be left to give to local organizations.

What the United Way learned was the generosity of people to local causes wasn’t diminished. Donors recognized that their neighbors were still in need, and that the United Way funds for emergency food and shelter, childcare for low-income families, health services for the uninsured, youth enrichment programs, services for seniors and the disabled needed to continue.

Your generosity does more than you will ever know to strengthen our community. For everyone who volunteered their time with United Way and everyone who donated, we extend our special thanks.