The United Way has announced the chairs for this year's fundraising campaign. Mara Downing of John Deere and Mike Parejko of the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center will lead the campaign, which aims to raise $7.5 million.
United Way of the Quad Cities President & CEO Rene Gellerman says they are the perfect people for the job.
"They have been longtime volunteers of the United Way and they serve on our board of directors. They are known community leaders and community influencers and they care a lot about our mission."
Downing and Parejko say this year's campaign will tell "transformative stories of everyday people whose lives have been changed by organizations that receive United Way support."
The campaign's official kickoff is scheduled for September 5th at the Rust Belt in East Moline at 4 p.m.