United Way of Mid Coast Maine’s fundraising Campaign to improve local people’s lives met its goal, successfully raising $1,915,702. The fundraising goal was $1,915,000.

“It’s great to think about what good news this means for the thousands of people who will be helped in the coming year,” said Campaign Chairman Larissa Darcy, regional vice president of The Bank of Maine. “All of us together, united, have made sure that they will not be forgotten about, but instead will be helped to a better life.”

Connie Jones of Boothbay Region Senior Services chaired United Way’s Residential and Leadership Giving.

She stressed that to make the announced total, the campaign depends on continued strong giving from many individuals who give outside the workplace, some of whom give toward the end of the calendar year. There also are a few workplace campaigns and corporate gifts coming up.

“We need you,” Darcy said.

Donations can be sent to United Way of Mid Coast Maine, 34 Wing Farm Parkway, Bath, ME 04530. People can also call 207-443-9752 to give by credit card, ask to be billed, give monthly via credit card or bank debit, or contribute stocks or securities.

All individuals in Mid Coast Maine are included in the community effort and encouraged to give. More information on United Way’s results in improving lives, including this year’s local video, can be found at www.uwmcm.org.

The Taylor/Tenny family of Wiscasset, who were featured in this year’s video, attended the Finale and received an ovationfrom the gathering of community leaders.

Hundreds of people on the Boothbay peninsula last year were helped by United Way-funded programs, including Elder Care Network of Lincoln County/Boothbay Green, New Hope for Women, Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine, Midcoast Maine Community Action, new parent home visiting programs of Healthy Kids and the Teen and Young Parent program, Girl Scouts, and others.

Total giving at Bath Iron Works was over $700,000, by far the largest amount of any Midcoast organization, and the employees and company were applauded by the audience and thanked by Darcy for being “abundantly generous.”

“Over 5,000 employees who work in different departments, locations, and shifts, have come together again, on behalf of our community. Thousands of people will be able to improve their lives because of this generosity. We owe you so much, and we are so grateful to you.”

L.L. Bean won United Way’s overall Campaign Excellence Award.

Referring to the company’s promise of “100 percent satisfaction guaranteed,” Darcy said: “If possible, we at United Way are more than 100 percent satisfied with L.L. Bean’s support — we are amazed, we are overjoyed, we are thankful.”

Darcy said the L.L. Bean employee rallies “are a model that any workplace could benefit from following. They use all United Way’s best practices. They produced special United Way boat-and-totes as incentives, and had their own L.L. Bean United Way video along with our video in their presentation.”

L.L. Bean was also thanked for giving United Way a very generous corporate gift, providing a loaned executive to help with the overall campaign, contributing a $500 gift card as an incentive, supporting employee artist Terry Amsden’s raffle contribution of a painting, and giving United Ways in their area 100 percent of their employee store August proceeds.

Workplace Division Awards went to FHC Inc. of Bowdoinham and Ray Labbe & Sons of Brunswick (Commerce and Industry Division), Bowdoin College (Education Division), Bath Savings Institution and Bath Savings Trust Company (Finance & Professional Firms Division), Lincoln County Healthcare (Health Division), the Starlight Cafe (Local Business Division), Independence Association (Public Service Division) and BIW Operations Division (Bath Iron Works Division).

The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to the Mid Coast Health Services United Way Campaign Team. Christina Hanson and Tricia Olson, who were new to the campaign, and Cindy Metivier were praised by Darcy for “their hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm — they took the ball and ran with it!” The team first visited United Way and some partner agencies to learn all they could, and shared their knowledge with “Champions” from departments throughout Mid Coast Health.

Together with senior leadership they set a goal of $90,000 — several thousand dollars more than the previous year. The team held United Way employee meetings where possible, gave employees personalized pledge packets, and introduced innovations including a United Way Agency Fair and Ice Cream Social for employees and a very popular company-wide Bowling Night and bake sale. Mid Coast Health Services, already one of United Way’s strongest supporters, surpassed its goal and raised $92,000.

Loaned executives who worked on the campaign for 10 weeks include: Becky Bohanan of Topsham, John Portela of BIW and Local S6, Lisa Snyder of L.L. Bean, Donna Church of Hannaford, Amanda Hoag of Bath, and Brendan Fickett of Norway Savings Bank.

Organizations that sponsored loaned executives are: Bath Iron Works, Local S6, Bath Savings Institution, FHC, Inc., L.L. Bean, Hannaford, and Norway Savings Bank. LL Bean, Hannaford, and Amtrak donated incentives for workplace campaigns.

United Way’s mission is “to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities.” It works to help Midcoast residents improve their lives in the critical areas of education, financial stability, and health, through prevention initiatives and funding of 37 local partner agencies.