Public Works Commission

Fayetteville PWC Receives "Spirit of North Carolina" Award from
United Way of North Carolina

February 4 , 2004

During the United Way of North Carolina's Annual Meeting held January 30, 2004, in Pinehurst, NC, representatives from Fayetteville's Public Works Commission received the "2003 Spirit of North Carolina" award. Steve Blanchard, PWC CEO/General Manager accepted the award on behalf of PWC employees.

"I'm very proud to be associated with such a caring group of employees," says Steve Blanchard. "They demonstrate their commitment to our community not only through their dedication to serving our customers, but also through their willingness to give to the United Way. They are truly deserving of the Spirit of North Carolina award."

The Spirit of North Carolina Award is presented to North Carolina businesses that have conducted exceptional United Way campaigns. This prestigious award reflects the best in commitment and dedication to those individuals in need. Organizations and companies are judged on a variety of criteria, including: leadership giving, volunteerism, employee participation and giving levels overall, year-round education, corporate support, incentive programs, campaign rallies, and other motivational techniques.

PWC's vision is: "To improve the quality of life in Fayetteville/Cumberland County area by providing a range of competitive utility services to the region". PWC employees take this statement to heart and that is one of the reasons they refer to themselves as the "People Who Care" company. Through their work with United Way of Cumberland County, these hometown heroes demonstrate their support in numerous ways including the annual employee campaign, supporting participation in the annual Days of Caring, volunteer leadership on both the local United Way board and committees, and year-round awareness of United Way. PWC's 2003 employee campaign raised $51,155, which exceeded the organization's goal of $50,000. With an 84% employee participation rate, the average employee gift was $116.

George Quigley, the 2004 United Way of Cumberland County Chairman of the Board states, "PWC has long been one of the flagship organizations in United Way's annual employee campaign. Their employees' willingness to give to the community and their quest to make this area the very best they can through the local programs and services funded by United Way of Cumberland County makes them truly deserving of this award."