Ask Donna Drackett to describe herself and she’ll tell you she’s a mother, wife, daughter and friend. With two active teen boys, Jacob (16) and Cole (13), and a plate full of their events and activities, it would be understandable to leave the description at that. But that wouldn’t tell the full story.
Donna is also CFO/EVP at PAR Inc., a leading publisher of psychological assessment tools and runs their annual United Way campaign. PAR Inc. has been a strong supporter of United Way Suncoast for decades and has an AMAZING record of 20+ years with 100% employee participation.
As Campaign Coordinator, Donna is responsible for the overall coordination of the campaign and all associated activities, no easy task as PAR, Inc. has A LOT going on. Known for their fun themes and friendly competitions, the week-long campaign includes a kick-off breakfast, leadership luncheon, prizes and a celebration lunch. Donna says it is an opportunity to build relationships with their employees while giving back. After scaling back their 2020 campaign due to COVID, everyone was thrilled to be back together for 2021.
The company hosted a 2-hour scavenger hunt where teams were tasked with solving challenges and competing in head-to-head challenges. Pictures and videos were submitted, scored and shared with the entire team via a video montage shortly after the competition ended, with the winning team enjoying prizes and bragging rights.
Beyond the annual campaign, PAR, Inc. provides support through their participation each year in the United Way Suncoast Week of Caring. Taking place in April, this is the largest one-day volunteer event in the area, with corporate partners adopting projects across our five-county region. Donna’s most memorable experience was at the Children’s Home, cleaning the cottages and seeing the children who benefit from such an incredible organization. She recognizes the needs throughout our community and says, “I am inspired to support the United Way to help put food on the table for the struggling family, provide resources/tools for members in the community through the Sulphur Springs Resource Center, and help try to eliminate the summer decline by providing books to students.”
Donna is proud of her company for receiving the Spirit of Suncoast Award from United Way which recognizes outstanding support from our corporate partners and says, “I wish everyone knew how easy it was to give of your financial resources and your time/talents to help those in need in our community.”
Donna is really taking what she says to heart as she looks forward to joining the Application Review Committee this year and helping determine how funds will be allocated to United Way Strategic Community Partners.
We are grateful for our supporters like Donna who lend their voice, time and talent to our efforts to give everyone the Freedom to Rise.
