HOT PURSUIT

When comes to the United Way, Annette Duncan will pretty much do anything. Even if it involves something that terrifies her.

That was more than evident last week over the Fourth of July celebration in Blooming Prairie. Duncan, the executive director of the United Way, made a big splash, though secretly it’s something she’s not real keen about.

While covering the July 4 activities, I stumbled across Duncan in Central Park by the dunk tank. Clad in her swimming suit, Duncan grimaced and held on dearly to the bars of the tank.

Hopping into the dunk tank was a new experience for Duncan. Perched 8-feet or so into the air, she waited above a large tank of cold water, though the hot sun warmed it up pretty quickly, for kids and adults to hit the bullseye with balls sending her into the tank.

Duncan revealed she is fearful of heights and drowning. Being sent into four feet of water may not seem like a big deal but for someone with phobias, it can cause significant distress. Or shear panic like in Duncan’s case.

“It was terrifying. I’m terrified of drowning and heights, and all of that was mixed into one,” she said.

And she wasn’t planning on another hidden effect of getting fast action dunked.

“It looks like somebody beat me up because I have bruises all over my back,” she said.

Asked where her disdain for water and heights comes from, Duncan wasn’t really sure. “Maybe I drowned in my past life,” she said.

Pushing her fears aside, Duncan enjoyed the opportunity to raise money for the United Way. Guests were given three balls for $5 to dunk Duncan or other community leaders like Sheriff Lon Thiele and Superintendent Chris Staloch. In the end, about $600 was raised with 75% going to the United Way.

For the record, Duncan got some needed relief as many people didn’t hit the target.

“I appreciate being part of the community and taking one for the team,” Duncan said. “I really enjoyed seeing the community come together and have fun. Families were enjoying themselves.”

Duncan takes advantage of every opportunity she can to raise money for United Way. She relishes in the opportunities to highlight the United Way’s programming at various community events. United Way will be at Pride in the Park this weekend in Owatonna as well as Gem Days and the Steele County Free Fair next month. There are also several Downtown Thursdays where they’ll be promoting themselves.

“I’m a firm believer that the United Way needs to be present,” said Duncan. “We work together as a community, and it’s important that we are able to be seen in the community,” she said, adding United Way can’t do its job if it’s not in the community doing the work.

The upcoming campaign has two parts: $815,000 or $950,000. If the first goal is hit, organizations will get only 85% of what they have in the past. However, if the later goal is hit, they’ll receive 100%. Duncan noted that United Way has been dipping into its reserves for about $150,000 each year over the past several years to fund everything, a practice she would like to stop.

She said they are looking at some new funding strategies in an effort to push them close to the $1 million mark. “In order to meet the needs, we need to be at $1 million,” Duncan said, noting the need is greater than ever before.

Duncan pointed out how many nonprofits are having their funding either cut or suspended due to things happening at the federal level. “It’s all chaotic right now,” she said.

Going in hot pursuit of creating big waves for the United Way is what Duncan is all about, even if it means pushing outside of her comfort zone and getting dunked.