The employees of National Beef Packing have pledged $223,723.24 to the Seward County United Way for the 2013 campaign. The contribution this year from the employees of National Beef has set a new high level of giving and has enabled the local United Way to reach its goal of $330,000.

“Employees of National Beef have increased their giving by $5,632.64 from the previous year and enabled us to meet our goal early. They have really worked hard on their campaign this year. They’ve just contributed 67 percent of our original goal. I would hate to imagine what we would do without the Employees of National Beef,” said Kay Burtzloff, executive director, Seward County United Way. “We appreciate the hard work that it takes to run such a large campaign. A strong National Beef campaign makes all the difference.”

Currently the campaign totals $333, 969.24, with some additional results expected in the next couple of weeks. The final results will be announced during the Seward County United Way’s Campaign Celebration.

In the past 22 years, Employees of National Beef have given about $3 million dollars, according to Burtzloff. “At the end of 2012, they have given about $2.8 million. When you add in this year’s giving, by the end of 2013, they will have given a little over $3 million total to the United Way. That’s just an incredible level of community support.”

In 2006, the National Beef campaign came in at $137,767.76 Burtzloff pointed out that the campaign has increased more than $85,000 in the last seven years. “When you have dedicated people at a business that have been able to increase giving by 60 percent, you know that they are able to see what the United Way and its agencies are able to do in the community,” she said.

“What impresses me is that National Beef donated the staff time and incentives to help make this a successful campaign,” said Deb Pridie, 2013 Campaign chair. “If you could add that to the total, then their gift this year would probably exceed $250,000.”

The National Beef team for the United Way campaign is headed up by Anahi Valenzuela and Yesenia Salazar and includes Luz Hernandez, Daisy Castaneda, Regina Chrisler, Nohemy Leyva, Michelle Hita, Leticia Flores, Rosa Martinez, Patricia Torres, Valeria Sanchez, Lupe Ontiveros, Mohamed Mohamud, Shafea Abdi, Anaing Saw, and Nora Moore.

A vast majority of the Employees of National Beef participate in the campaign, “We are deeply grateful to all the employees at National Beef who support our campaign,” said Pridie, “I wish I could thank them all personally.”

The Seward County United Way supported 27 agencies in 2012. For more information, contact Burtzloff at (620) 624-5400