KEARNEY — After estimating an $80,000 shortfall in late November, the United Way of the Kearney Area is 75 percent of the way to its 2010 campaign goal.

United Way has collected $389,119 toward its $534,000 goal, it was announced at a campaign celebration Thursday afternoon. Executive Director Lisa Reese Parish said United Way hopes to reach its goal by March when the campaign books will close and a final total will be announced.

“We still have some work to do, clearly,” Parish said. “I’m very proud of where our volunteers have gotten us so far. This has been a very challenging year.”

Last year at this time, the United Way had raised 83 percent of its campaign goal of $547,500.

Money from the campaign will be distributed to 22 partner agencies: The Arc, American Red Cross Fort Kearney Chapter, Adult Basic Education, Boy Scouts, CASA Program of Phelps and Kearney counties, Child Abuse Resource Education, Citizen Advocacy, Compassionate Connections, Friends, Girls Scouts, Head Start, Jubilee Center, Lutheran Family Services, Minden Senior Center N.Y.S.P. - National Youth Sports Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Homeless Prevention Program, RAFT, Recreational Scholarship Fund, Salvation Army, Senior Hospitality Center Housekeeping Service and The Spouse/Sexual Abuse Family Education Center.

It also was announced that Bob Lammers with Farm Credit Services and Troy Brockmeier with Wells Fargo will lead next year’s campaign.

e-mail to:

sarah.mulder@kearneyhub.com

Prize winners

Donors of $130 or more were eligible for prizes. Winners announced Thursday were:

Grand Prize, trip for four to Denver — Kim Swails of Kearney

Second, 42-inch flat-screen television — Nancy Cunningham of Miller

Third, $400 gift card to Hilltop Mall — Kelly Tworek of Kearney

How to give

To donate to the Kearney Area United Way campaign, call 237-6840, mail donations to 4009 Sixth Ave., Suite 19, Kearney, NE 68845 (make checks payable to United Way of the Kearney Area) or donate online at www.uwka.org.