Organization to Host Virtual Centennial Celebration on October 8 to Honor its Past, Celebrate the Present, and Reimagine the Future

San Diego CA— United Way of San Diego County, a nonprofit bringing community and business partners together to help San Diego’s children, young adults, and families have a brighter future, turns 100 years old this year. Acknowledging the ever-changing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization will celebrate its Diamond Anniversary with a Virtual Centennial Celebration and fundraiser on Oct. 8 to honor its past, celebrate the present, and redefine and reimagine the future of our local community.
“For a century, United Way of San Diego County has dedicated itself to solving inequities and injustice, and helping underserved communities throughout the San Diego area,” says Tony R. Russell, board chair, United Way of San Diego County. “Today, with our partners countywide, we continue to help San Diegans rebuild their lives amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensure all children, young adults, and families have equal opportunities to succeed in the years to come, regardless of zip code or income.”
Honoring Our Past
Since 1920, when E.B. Gould Jr. first convened the Community Chest, and throughout decades of transformations, United Way has focused on the changing needs of the community it serves, assessing the most critical issues and establishing partnerships and strategies to solve them.
In addition to bringing nonprofit, education, government, and corporate partners together to put impactful solutions into action, United Way of San Diego County was instrumental in paving the way for some of San Diego’s leading nonprofit organizations, including The San Diego Foundation; Volunteer San Diego; LEAD San Diego; 2-1-1 San Diego; and the Regional Task Force on the Homeless San Diego.
Celebrating the Present, Looking to the Future
The organization’s virtual celebration will also focus on its current and future work—including its leadership in the Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition and the Count Me 2020 Coalition, which aims to ensure every San Diegan is counted in the 2020 U.S. Census; its partnership with HandsOn San Diego to establish the San Diego COVID-19 Volunteer Hub to help San Diegans as we face this unprecedented crisis; the San Diego Worker Assistance Initiative to help provide flexible resources to individuals and families impacted by layoffs and reduced working hours due to the pandemic; and its partnership with the Advancing San Diego initiative to build a pipeline of local talent through internships for community college students with local businesses.
To represent the organization’s three areas of focus, the event’s co-chairs are major leaders in education, business and philanthropy in San Diego. The Virtual Centennial Celebrations’ event co-chairs:

• Constance M. Carroll, Ph.D., chancellor, San Diego Community College District (92108)
• Jerry Sanders, president and CEO, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce (92101)
• Mark Stuart, CFRE, president and CEO, The San Diego Foundation (92106)

Attendees will enjoy a presentation of United Way of San Diego County’s past, present and future as community leaders and prominent San Diegans come together to wish the organization a ‘Happy Centennial Celebration.’ In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction and delight in entertainment from Fernando DaRosa, Mariachi Torres, Culture Shock, and Whitney Shay, who won Artist of the Year and Best Blues Album at the 2019 San Diego Music Awards. The event co-chairs will also present awards to three local community leaders in the education, business, and philanthropy sectors.
Event sponsors include San Diego Gas and Electric as the Diamond Sponsor, Solar Turbines as the Platinum Sponsor, and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority as the Gold Sponsor for the event.
“We are grateful for these and all of our other partners that have supported our work in the San Diego community—the place we’ve called home since 1920—and look forward to celebrating our impact in 2020 and beyond. We encourage all San Diegans to attend our virtual Centennial Celebration to commemorate this milestone with us because we could not have reached a century of service without them,” says United Way of San Diego County President and CEO Nancy L. Sasaki.
If you are interested in sponsoring United Way of San Diego County’s Virtual Centennial Celebration, please contact Jim Woods, vice president of corporate relations, at jim.woods@uwsd.org or 858-636-4145.
EVENT INFORMATION
United Way of San Diego County’s Virtual Centennial Celebration
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Ticket levels: $50, $100, and group tickets available for $1,000
To learn more and purchase tickets for the Centennial Celebration visit
uwsd.org/tickets

ABOUT UNITED WAY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY
For 100 years, United Way of San Diego County has aligned with partners to address inequities in the region and help underserved communities. United Way’s specialty lies in identifying sustainable, long-term goals and achieving them through leveraging data and partners’ expertise to better understand root causes and putting impactful solutions into action.
United Way’s work, in partnership with others, uses shared goals, innovation and proven practices to transform the lives of children, young adults and families in the San Diego region. United Way focuses on educational milestones, such as kindergarten readiness, third-grade literacy, high school preparation, and college and career pathways. Learn more and get involved by visiting www.uwsd.org, Facebook, Twitter, or by calling (858) 492-2000.