Centennial Kick Off




“Thank you for the role that each of you has played to make our organization what it is today. We are so grateful for your commitment and support, and look forward to many more years of partnership.”

—Nancy Sasaki, President & CEO

Written by: Claudia Chow, Digital Marketing Manager, UWSD

On January 16th, the halls of the San Diego History Center filled with the sounds of laughter and nostalgia. Old friends were reunited and new friendships were forged, but one thing they all had in common was their love and support for United Way of San Diego County. This was the first of many events to highlight our United Way’s 100 years of giving back to the San Diego Community. Honoring the first decade, the 1920s, fifty esteemed members of the United Way Legacy joined us for an intimate luncheon to kick off our Centennial Year.

Guests were welcomed by familiar faces from their past, including many colleagues they hadn’t seen for years. They took a look back at history from the archives, enjoyed a delicious lunch, and enjoyed a program from Nancy Sasaki, President & CEO, and Rich Pattenaude, Board Chair. The program included a brief glimpse into the ways in which many individuals in the room contributed to forging the success that made a huge impact on the organization itself as well as the many people it serves and our community as a whole.

United Way’s work on behalf of others would not have been possible without the commitment of time and talent by countless volunteers. Beginning in 1920 when the organization was run solely by volunteers, through the inception of Volunteer San Diego in 1970, up until today – volunteers are the heart of our organization and the core of our impact. Because our history is so full of impactful initiatives and change-making collaborations, we decided to devote each month of 2020 to a decade of our rich history!

United Way of San Diego County’s past 100 years has brought unparalleled value to the San Diego community, and we could not have gotten to where we are today without our fearless leaders, past and present. We hope to see more of you at future events leading up to our Gala on 10/10/2020!

To learn about the Centennial Celebration, visit uwsd.org/centennial.