Charles Town racetrack gives United Way $50K

By Edward Marshall / Journal Staff Writer

Tiffany Lawrence, left, Bill Bork, Anthony Casdia, Al Britton, Bob Baronner, Roger Ramey, Jan Callen, Jeff Pietz and Debbie McClure gather Thursday afternoon, when Charles Town Races & Slots awards the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle $50,000 from the track’s annual employee campaign. (Journal photo by Ron Agnir)

CHARLES TOWN - Representatives from Charles Town Races & Slots presented the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle with a check for $50,000 Thursday, which was raised through the racetrack's 2008 employee contribution program.

Charles Town Races & Slots' United Way Employee Contribution Campaign raises money for the nonprofit organization through a combination of employee contributions deducted from employee paychecks, charitable employee events and company contributions.

"We have been historically the largest corporate contributor in the area," said Al Britton, general manager of Charles Town Races & Slots. "One of our core values is to be a good neighbor, and that is true of us as a company and all of us as employees. We believe very strongly in doing what we can in the community, and the United Way plays an important role."

Britton said the United Way is an agency that goes through the administrative process of recognizing and identify those programs and agencies that do the most good in the community.

"Giving money to the United Way is a way to make sure that the dollars we do give get spread out where it can do the most help," he said.

The company's employee contribution campaign is co-chaired by Bill Bork and Jeff Pietz. In addition to deductions from paychecks, Bork said the campaign also included employee events such as car washes and silent auctions.

"It's a combination of employee contributions ... and it is also a combination of a whole bunch of employee events that we hold throughout the year," Bork said. "We always try to come up with something fun, so they feel like they are having fun while giving money to charity at the same time."

Pietz said his job as co-chair is made easier by employees' willingness to donate to the United Way.

"They understand that the United Way helps the person next door, and that it helps the (local) organizations," Pietz said. "What also makes it nice about the United Way is the employee contributions. They can designate what group they want the money to go to."

Jan Callen, executive director of the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle, and Bob Baronner, an agency board member and president and CEO of the Bank of Charles Town, were on hand Thursday afternoon to accept the $50,000 contribution made by the racetrack.

"Charles Town Races & Slots is very important to the United Way," Callen said, adding in the past two years, the company has become the No. 1 employee campaign contributor to the agency. "Their $50,000 check will fund a number of services that we have here in the community, all the way from shelters to boys and girls clubs, scouting programs, senior centers, free clinics, etc. They are a big help."

Baronner said the payroll deduction program that funds the employee contributions is an easy way for employees to give. With a company as large as Charles Town Races & Slots, the contributions build up significantly over time.

"All I can say is, it's awesome," he said of the $50,000 contribution. "It's a tough year for all businesses, and Charles Town Races & Slots really does a fantastic job in an otherwise pretty tough year for most charities like the United Way."

- Staff writer Edward Marshall can be reached at (304) 725-6581, or emarshall@journal-news.net