February 1, 2007 Hello, and thank you for your support of United Way of Greater Cleveland. Campaign Goal Within Reach -- With Your Help! The United Way of Greater Cleveland 2006 Campaign has raised more than $41.4 million or 95 percent of the $43.6 million goal. "But we still need your help to meet our goal," says Robert H. Rawson, Jr., United Way Campaign Co-Chair, "And that goal isn't about the money -- what it truly represents is much-needed support to our community. Support for services that benefit thousands of your neighbors, with employment preparation, seniors programs, help for the homeless, mental health services for families and physical rehabilitation for children." Robert J. King, Jr., Campaign Co-Chair, adds, "Now is the time to put our best effort forward as citizens of Greater Cleveland to show that through our compassion and generosity, we care about the people of this community." If you haven't donated yet, please do so at your workplace campaign or securely online now. If you have already made a contribution, we thank you. IN THIS ISSUE: Chinese New Year Celebration to Benefit United Way GuitarMania Art Exhibit Open Last Call for Cavaliers Nights Annual Meeting Coming Soon Champ Car Helmet Auction Meet Mei Li Chen Martin Luther King III to Speak at Human Services Institute Flowers for your Valentine and Help for Our Community February Is American Heart Month Donate Now

Ring in the Chinese New Year and Help United Way A Chinese New Year celebration will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2007, from 6 p.m. to midnight at Li Wah Restaurant, The Asia Plaza, 2999 Payne Avenue, Cleveland. A portion of the proceeds will benefit United Way of Greater Cleveland's Campaign. The event offers a traditional Chinese 10-course dinner, entertainment, dancing, door prizes and a cash bar. For reservations, please call 216-696-6556. A downloadable reservation form is also available from this link, but hurry! Reservations are being taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

GuitarMania Art Exhibit Now at Artist Review Today The GuitarMania Juried Art Exhibit, featuring approved designs for the 9-foot-tall Fender® Stratocaster® guitars that will be on display during this year's GuitarMania, opened at the Artist Review Today gallery in the Galleria in downtown Cleveland. Artists, sponsors and local media representatives turned out to help put the first brushstrokes on this exciting, nationally recognized pop cultural art and community project. View photos from the Opening Reception.

Last Call for Cavaliers Nights With United Way Start spring off right with the Cavs at the Q. Get your discount tickets for March 5, as the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Houston Rockets. Upper Baseline tickets are discounted from $35 to $27.50 and Upper Baseline Corner tickets are discounted from $25 to $23. A portion of ticket proceeds through this promotion will benefit United Way. Download a mail-in order form now or order online.

Annual Meeting Coming Soon The United Way Annual Meeting takes place Friday, March 2, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. Join us for our final 2006 Campaign report to the community and the annual Community Vision Council update. To reserve a table, individual tickets or secure a sponsorship opportunity, please contact Michelle Battle at 216-436-2121 or mbattle@uws.org, or Jessica D. Snyder at 216-436-2123 or jdsnyder@uws.org.

Own a Helmet Signed by Bobby Rahal Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes and the 2006 Grand Prix of Cleveland presented by U.S. Bank are giving fans a chance to bid on fourteen one-of-a-kind custom-painted racing helmets autographed by top Champ Car drivers. The helmets were individually designed and painted by Cleveland-area automotive shops and artists. Each helmet was autographed by the top three finishers at the 2006 Grand Prix of Cleveland -- A.J. Allmendinger, Bruno Junqueira and Oriol Servia -- as well as racing legend Bobby Rahal, winner of the inaugural Grand Prix of Cleveland in 1982. View and bid on this month's helmet. More info about this month's helmet at uws.org/news/helmet_auctions.asp.

Navigating An Uncertain Transition If you've ever had to put yourself in a new and strange environment -- at work, school, or place of residence -- you surely understand that it can be an uncertain transition. But it also gives an opportunity for personal growth and greater understanding as you adapt. Mei Li Chen came to Cleveland from a distant country and culture and had to make that change. Read this young woman's surprisingly mature insights and see how she's made the adjustment with a little help from Youth Opportunities Unlimited and United Way. Read her story here.

Martin Luther King III to Speak at Human Services Institute Martin Luther King III, CEO of Realizing the Dream, Inc. and son of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will speak at The Center for Community Solution's 65th Annual Human Services Institute on Friday, March 23, 2007. Gus Lee, author, ethicist and leadership consultant, also will present on "Leadership of Nonprofits in Changing Times." Participants can choose from 19 health and human service workshops and continuing education credits in a variety of professional disciplines. An executive directors only session will be presented in cooperation with United Way and CSU's Center for Nonprofit Policy and Practice. To find out more and register online, visit www.communitysolutions.com/hsevent.

Flowers for Your Valentine and Help for United Way United Way of Greater Cleveland and ProFlowers have partnered to provide you the convenience of buying flowers online, direct from the field to your Valentine. A portion of the proceeds from every purchase will go to United Way to support health and human services in our community. Over 5 million customers rated ProFlowers "Best Value" in a survey by the Wall Street Journal. Order your flowers today, and put ProFlowers in your favorites for ease when ordering in the future.

February Is American Heart Month Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. Lifestyle plays a significant role in the prevention of heart disease. Learn more about the importance of not smoking, getting regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy diet by visiting the following links: Heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest warning signs Take a quiz to learn if you're at risk for heart disease Learn what you can do to help prevent heart disease and stroke Additional information

Check Community-Wide Needs for the Greatest Impact on Our Community By designating Community-Wide Needs with your pledge, you authorize our trained volunteers to decide how your donations, and those of countless others, can target the greatest needs of our community. It might be to deliver meals to homebound seniors, train daycare providers to provide the best possible educational preparation for children or any of the nearly 180 programs provided by our community partners or initiatives of the Community Vision Council. Here is how to pledge confidentially online.

We publish What Matters to keep you informed about events, activities and developments affecting United Way and the Greater Cleveland community. To ensure that you continue to receive What Matters, please add us to your address book or trusted sender list or ask your IT administrator to whitelist us. We invite you to visit our Web site, after you've read this newsletter. United Way of Greater Cleveland 1331 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 T: (216) 436-2100; F: (216) 436-2257 www.uws.org Email: marketing@uws.org