By Bob Ratterman

Contributing Writer

OXFORD — A double celebration of another year of helping Oxford-area people in need as well as the nine-year contributions to that effort by its executive director, the United Way of Oxford, Ohio and Vicinity held its annual meeting Tuesday, hosted by the Knolls of Oxford.

The two celebrations went together well and meshed at the end, when an additional donation in the name of outgoing director Maureen Kranbuhl brought the 2012 drive near its original goal.

Jeff and Debbie MacDonald served as campaign co-chairs and Jeff MacDonald told those assembled Tuesday that they set a goal of $250,000, which they knew would be a challenge.

“It’s fun when you think about it as a quarter of a million dollars,” he said. “We got some pretty doggone fantastic results.”

The amount raised was not quite that amount, he added, but said, “Ninety-six percent works for me,” adding that they have until the end of April to make up the difference.

A large part of that difference was made up before the meeting even ended.

The annual meeting was the ninth for Kranbuhl, who has announced her retirement from the United Way position, and she was the recipient of praise and a few gifts for her work over the years.

Former Oxford resident Amy Roberts, who now works for the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, praised her “legacy of good works” and presented her with a certificate of appreciation and said a monetary gift was being made to the Oxford United Way in her honor.

Kranbuhl was also given a Stousland pin incorporating the letters of her name and the letters “UW” in honor of her United Way service as well as an Uptown Oxford photo with a hidden “M” for her initial.

The best gift of all came at the end of the meeting when 2012 board president Pam Collins said that the campaign has raised more money than the year before in Kranbuhl’s first eight years as director and they wanted to keep her record perfect. She announced that some of the United Way’s leading contributors were approached about an additional donation to increase this year’s total.

Collins said an additional $4,100 was raised toward that effort.

“This gift assures that perfect record with increased money in every campaign you led,” she said.

Kranbuhl thanked those present for their support of United Way over the years and said she wanted to start with a quote from Dr. Seuss: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

She said as she reflects on nine years as executive director of Oxford’s United Way, she remembers the stories of people being served by member agencies who received help they could not get otherwise, including medical and dental care, transportation and other needs.

“I reflect most when I hear stories about how United Way changed someone’s life,” she said. “It was an honor to work with great volunteers. United Way is a unique resource in the community. Over $2 million has been raised in the last nine campaigns, serving 10,000 residents every year.”

She added, “United Way is 75 years old and I am so very, very proud to be a part of its history.”

In the business portion of Tuesday’s meeting, board officers for the coming year were formally elected with Sibyl Miller chosen as board president, Ann Whelpton as vice president and Karen Baker as secretary/treasurer.

John Bowblis was elected to a three-year on the board, replacing Steve Snyder who leaves after two terms with his six years encompassing terms as president and vice president as well was serving on various committees.

In his campaign chair report, Jeff MacDonald said they made a bigger effort to go out to local businesses and talk to owners about supporting United Way. He said they started with a goal of getting 50 new businesses involved in United Way and got 74. He threw down a challenge to organizers of this year’s campaign.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said. “It’s a challenge. A lot of the businesses I talked to said they had never been asked. They were impressed with number of agencies involved and the fact that the dollars stay in the community.”

MacDonald said United Way funds serve a full spectrum of people in many ways, with dollars going to help youth, elderly and the needy.