With the United Way Peterborough & District’s 2025-26 community campaign wrapping up at the end of March, the organization held an campaign celebration on Thursday afternoon (April 9) at McDonnell Street Activity Centre to announce the final result and to recognize the workplaces, partner agencies, and individual donors that participated in this year’s campaign.
The 84th annual campaign raised a total of $1,560,075 for the non-profit organization, just shy of its $1.6 million goal but still representing a three per cent increase over last year’s campaign.
Thursday’s event was especially poignant as it was United Way CEO Jim Russell’s final campaign celebration before he retires this summer after leading the organization for more than 14 years.
“As I look back on my time with United Way, I am so overwhelmed with gratitude for the people who continue to show up each year for their community,” Russell said. “It’s not our organization alone that makes this work possible. It’s a shared responsibility, brought to life by our dedicated partners and workplaces from across the region.”
“This year especially was a true show of community spirit, with so many new partnerships forming and more people stepping forward to get involved, whether it was events like Backpacks for Success, Period Promise, or the ever-popular Peterborough Performs championed by our incredible campaign chair Paul Rellinger.”
A long-time journalist and a long-time supporter of the United Way, Rellinger co-founded “Peterborough Performs: Musicians United To End Homelessness” with David Goyette in 2020 and has organized all six benefit concerts since then, including the latest event in March that raised $36,236, bringing the grand total raised by the annual event to $185,694.
Rellinger was also one of eight “burger ambassadors” for the United Way’s inaugural Ultimate Burger Battle, held last November, which saw more than 1,000 burgers sold, just over $2,000 raised, and three local restaurants winning bragging rights for the year’s ultimate burger, most burgers sold, and the people’s choice award. In a nod to his past “Relly on the Roof” days, he even climbed atop the roof of Twohey Home for a final campaign push.
“As campaign chair I’ve had the honour of being a part of the United Way team and let me tell you, fundraising is no easy task,” Rellinger said. “It really is nonstop all year long, trying to meet the goal to ensure our Peterborough community is receiving the much-needed support that it deserves.”
“Although I am chair for only a year, I am a supporter of United Way Peterborough always,” he added, noting he will continue his involvement in the United Way in 2026-27 by remaining as a cabinet member and organizing the seventh Peterborough Performs benefit concert for early 2027.
At Thursday’s campaign celebration, Rellinger also presented several awards to recognize the outstanding efforts of individuals, workplaces, and partners who contributed to the success of the 2025-26 campaign:
- Phoenix Award – City of Peterborough
- Making It Rain Award – County of Peterborough
- Most Creative Event – New Canadians Centre, KD Challenge
- The Spark Plug Award – Tiffany Arcari, Community Ambassador
- Chronically Online – John Howard Society of the Kawarthas
- Culture of Giving – Trent University
- Champion of Change – Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board
- On-The-Record – Jeannine Taylor, kawarthaNOW
- Outstanding Partner Agency – Trent Valley Learning Association
With the United Way Peterborough & District saying goodbye to its longest-serving CEO and seeking a new one as it enters into its 85th campaign year, the organization says it will continue “building on strong partnerships while welcoming new opportunities to create lasting change across the community.”
Initiatives such as the Day of Caring and Backpacks for Success will return later this summer to support local needs.
