Move over, Mark McGwire! "Big Mac" wasn't the only slugger to hit 70 this year. In front of more than 700 community business leaders and volunteers, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta announced that it topped its $70 million fund-raising goal for 1998.

The total of $70,464,862 represents an increase of 10 percent over last year. Campaign chairman Neal Purcell of KPMG Peat Marwick thanked the crowd during a celebration luncheon at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Purcell said a number of factors helped increase the campaign by more than $6 million. Over $750,000 in first time contributions were realized through new business development, driven by the leadership of Jim Kelly of United Parcel Service (UPS) and matching incentives from Nationsbank, UPS and Norrell Corporation. The Alexis de Tocqueville Society (individual gifts of $10,000 and above) welcomed more than 100 new members and boosted the total to more than 420 members. Delta Air Lines tripled its corporate gift, from $250,000 in 1997 to $750,000 in 1998.

BellSouth Corp. was the number one company in terms of total employees and corporate gifts to United Way, with $5.1 million. Coca-Cola Co. was the campaign's second-largest total giver at more than $3.5 million. Companies that contributed $1 million were also recognized at the celebration ceremony. They are BellSouth; Coca-Cola; Delta Air Lines; AT&T Corp.; Georgia Power Co.; NationsBank; Publix Super Markets; Sun Trust Bank, Atlanta; United Parcel Service; Wachovia Bank of Georgia; IBM Corp.; and Cox Enterprises/Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Jerry C. Hassebroek, managing partner of Andersen Consulting's Atlanta office, will lead United Way's 1999 fund raising efforts.

United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta is the largest, non-governmental funder of health and human services in Atlanta. In 1997, United Way helped one of every five people in its 13-county service area. In addition, 90 cents of every dollar raised by United Way goes to nurture children and youth, strengthen families, increase economic self-sufficiency and encourage citizen involvement. For more information, visit United Way's website at: www.unitedwayatl.org

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