NORWICH – For the first time in five years, the Chenango County United Way can say it surpassed its annual fundraising campaign goal, bringing another successful chapter in its longstanding community impact to a close.

The United Way released final figures of its 2013 campaign last week. When all the numbers were crunched, contributions totaled $444,875; $875 above the initial benchmark set in September. According to United Way Director Elizabeth Monaco, this is the first time the Chenango United Way reached its goal since the 2008 campaign. And because this year’s goal was $4,000 more than last year’s, surpassing expectations is all the more monumental.

“There was rumor that the economy was slowly improving but it wasn’t until the end of the campaign that we could actually see that,” said Monaco, pointing to a number of local companies that played an enormous part in hitting the target. “We had a majority of companies that met and exceeded campaign goals, which is a very big deal. This shows a turning point in our community.”