Miner Institute Holstein "Jackie" Felt the Love and Helped United Way Raise $13,000!
- Rachel Dutil
- 2h
- 2 min read
A crowd gathered on Thursday, February 12 in Miner Institute's dairy barn to celebrate the United Way of the Adirondack Region's successful 2026 campaign, which raised a total of $680,000 to support health and human service programs in Clinton, Franklin, and Essex Counties.
"It was a valiant team effort among campaign volunteers, United Way staff and employee campaign representatives, but most of all, it was the generosity of businesses, organizations and individuals that made it successful. I am always so impressed to see how people in our region come together for their friends and neighbors," said John Bernardi, President and CEO of United Way of the Adirondack Region.
Included within the final $680,000 tally for 2026 was more than $13,000 that was raised as part of the 2026 cow kissing campaign, with funds targeted to support homelessness prevention in the tri-county region. The annual event has become a beloved tradition in the North Country and has been going on since before the pandemic.
Special thanks to the incredible team at the United Way of the Adirondack Region — John Bernardi, Heather Seguin, Julie Kildee, Randi Christodoulou, Jennifer Galietta, and Bryan Hartman — for all the incredible work they do in the North Country year-round; and to our 2026 cow kissing team: Michelle Breen, Director of the Franklin County Office for the Aging; NY State Assemblyman Michael Cashman; Elizabeth Pearl, owner of Pearl Physical Therapy; Ken Knelly, President of Clinton Community College; Wendell Hughes, Mayor of the City of Plattsburgh; Valerie Ainsworth, Mental Health Association of Essex County and Homeward Bound Adirondacks; and Holly Black, owner of the Hurdle Group.
We look forward to this great event every year!
