'Good hearts' will help United Way reach goal in Thunder Bay, say campaign chairs

The co-chairs of the 2016 United Way fundraising campaign in Thunder Bay say they believe the organization will meet it's goal of raising $2.65 million this year.

• United Way in Thunder Bay sets $2.65M fundraising goal for 2016

Two campaigns in the past threeyears have fallen short of the target, but MaryMcLellan said she'sconfidentpeople in the city will help them find success this year because "we know they have good hearts."

"I've lived here for five years now, and I've never seen a city like this. It's such a giving community and if you need something people will drop what they're doing and help you," she said.

The annual fundraising goal is a delicate equation, balancing the costs of providing the services people need, versus the donations the United Way expects to receive, said Mike Nitz, adding that one in every three people in Thunder Bay will benefit from the programs funded by the organization.

"We do a number of different things, from newborns to Hospice Northwest, which aids people in their final days, so it runs the gambit," said Nitz, who expects the campaign to succeed this year, for one simple reason.

"Our [fundraising] team is all of Thunder Bay."