Elizabeth Downey-Sunnen has been tagged to head up the United Way of Chatham-Kent’s 2017  fundraising campaign.

Elizabeth Downey-Sunnen, pictured with her family, is chairing the 2017 United Way campaign.
Elizabeth Downey-Sunnen, pictured with her family, is chairing the 2017 United Way campaign.

Unlike years past she’ll be doing it alone and without a co-chair,, which Downey-Sunnen says is okay.

“I don’t mind working with a group, I’m just as happy working on my own,” she says. “I don’t think that me being one person as opposed to having two of us is going to hold me back at all, if anything it’ll give my personality a little more room because I have a rather large one.”

Downey-Sunnen is an artist, former teacher, and long-time advocate for youth having served as a United Way Youth Ambassador for CKSS about 20 years ago.

“The United Way is such a very important part of our community,” she says. “Without our continued support and making sure that people understand what the United Way does and what that impact is, we wouldn’t be able to have the quality of life that we do have and the quality of life that we’re yearning for.”

This year’s fundraising target has not yet been released.

Last year’s campaign brought in $1.7-million to support the organization’s member agencies.