The United Way of Story County is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month with a series of fund-raising events for the Ames community.

The fund-raising campaign began Sept. 4 and runs until Oct. 10. The Story County United Way campaign will also involve the efforts of Story County’s Habitat for Humanity, which includes members of the ISU community.

Richard Seagrave, campus chair for the 2003 United Way of Story County Campaign, said the United Way teamed with Habitat for Humanity a few years ago.

“The Iowa State University leadership campaign felt it was a worthy campaign,” he said.

Seagrave said the United Way is a nonprofit agency which raises money for different services. Some of these services or agencies include the American Red Cross, Heartland Senior Services, Assault Care Center and Youth and Shelter Services. Seagrave said Story County raised $1 million last year, and $250,000 came from ISU community members.

United Way’s anniversary campaign began with a kickoff Thursday at St. Cecilia’s Church, 2900 Hoover Ave. Also Thursday, the organization hosted a Day of Caring at the YMCA.

Carol Smalley, campaign and marketing coordinator for the United Way of Story County, said the Day of Caring involved a number of businesses and 200 volunteers who participated in activities such as cleaning windows, landscaping, painting and carpentry.

“We wanted to bring awareness to our agencies and have people learn about what they do for the community,” Smalley said.

Smalley also said the event was “about volunteering and helping out partner agencies.”

Other events planned during the anniversary campaign include the fourth annual Golf Fore United Way Event, to be held Sept. 19 at Coldwater Golf Course and a Mary Greeley Medical Center Hope Run at Jack Trice Stadium on the following day. On Oct. 4, a Memory Walk will be held at Brookside Park to raise money for caregivers or people with Alzheimer’s disease or other related diseases.

Anjeanette Perkins, executive director of Story County Habitat for Humanity, said Habitat for Humanity’s goal is to raise several thousand dollars during United Way’s anniversary campaign.

“We’d like to raise $30,000 from donations in support of our annual Blitz Build,” Perkins said.

Perkins said the Blitz Build occurs during Homecoming week at Iowa State. ISU students volunteer to build part of a house in Gilbert. It costs $75,000 to build the house, and Perkins said, “United Way is a big important part of the funds we need to build the house.”

Perkins also acknowledged the significance of organizations such as United Way.

“United Way is an important partnership that allows communities to pool resources to make sure all of our neighbors have a good place to live,” she said.

Frankee Oleson, executive director of the United Way of Story County, said the goal of the 50th anniversary campaign is to raise $1,070,000. This total includes all of the different divisions that are contributing to the campaign. Oleson explained faculty and students at Iowa State, for instance, have a goal of $264,000. ISU students and staff may donate to either Habitat for Humanity or United Way.

“Our goal is to grow in our ability to meet community needs and make our community stronger and safer,” Oleson said.