The United Way of the Coastal Empire is gearing up to kick off its annual fundraising campaign, with a goal of $70,000 for the United Way of Bryan County.

The campaign will run from Sept. 18 to Nov. 21.

"There’s a lot of need to be filled," said Janice Blunt, director of the United Way of the Coastal Empire’s Bryan County branch.

A kickoff party for the entire UWCE campaign will be held Sept. 10 at the Savannah Civic Center.

On Sept. 18, Bryan County will hold its own kickoff party in Richmond Hill at the Wetlands Center in J.F. Gregory Park. It will begin at noon and last approximately one hour.

The Bryan County kickoff party will feature a raffle drawing with proceeds benefiting the United Way. First prize is four VIP tickets to the NASCAR Bank of America 500 in Charlotte, N.C. Second prize is four tickets to the football game between Georgia Southern University and Appalachian State University.

The UWCE serves Bryan, Effingham, Liberty and Chatham counties. It provides a wide range of social services to those in need.

Some current projects in Bryan County include Helping Hands, which provides volunteers to assist the elderly with small home repair projects, and Medbank, a prescription assistance organization for the uninsured. The United Way also operates The Clothes Line thrift shop in Pembroke.

For more information about getting involved with the United Way, or to attend the kickoff parties, contact Blunt at 756-5333 or 653-5344.