United Way of the Coastal Empire kicked off the 2025 Campaign on Thursday, September 5th, with a high-energy and sold-out luncheon with more than 750 community leaders at the Savannah Convention Center.

During the education-themed Kickoff event, Dr. Yancy Ford, United Way of the Coastal Empire’s 2025 Campaign Chair and Effingham County Schools Superintendent, championed this year’s Campaign theme – ‘Educate. Elevate. Unite.’

“Education is the foundation for brighter futures, but we can’t do it alone,” said Dr. Ford. “In order to elevate our students, neighbors, communities, and this region, we need everyone in the Coastal Empire to unite together.”

More than 50 students from Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Long counties participated in the Kickoff event, representing students across United Way’s service area. In keeping with Dr. Ford’s commitment to fostering a spirit of unity and collaboration, superintendents from the five-county region also participated in the program. 

Dr. Ford inspired the crowd by sharing why he supports the organization that has served the community since 1938.

“Through my years in Education, I have seen firsthand the powerful ways United Way of the Coastal Empire is making a difference in the lives of our students, their families, our community, and this entire region,” said Dr. Ford.

Pacesetter Campaign results totaling $494,794 were also announced. This is an increase of 13% over last year’s Pacesetter campaigns. The 21 Pacesetters businesses that agreed to kickstart the Campaign by running early and ambitious employee-giving campaigns include:

America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia

BankSouth

Bryan County Schools

Chatham Steel

Critz Auto Group

Dixie Plywood

Effingham County Board of Education

Goodwill of Southeast Georgia

Hancock Askew & Company

Liberty County Board of Education

Pembroke Advanced Fiber

Reiser & Reiser

Savannah Speech & Hearing

Senior Citizens, Inc.

Shaw Industries

St. Andrew’s School

Sterling Seacrest Pritchard

Synovus

Thomas & Hutton

Union Mission

United Way of the Coastal Empire

“Our mission is to improve lives, and we do that by providing a safety net for the most vulnerable and pathways for upward mobility so everyone in our five-county region can thrive,” said Kimberly Waller, United Way of the Coastal Empire President and CEO. “We can only do that through the caring power of this community.”

This year’s Kickoff was sponsored by Colonial Group, Georgia Ports Authority, Gulfstream, Publix, South University, Chatham County, Coca-Cola, Effingham Health System, Georgia Power – Savannah Office, International Paper, Vystar Credit Union, BankSouth, Expert Hearing, Great Dane, Matson Logistics, Memorial Health, and WTOC.

Those interested in making a donation or learning more about United Way of the Coastal Empire’s work should visit uwce.org.