Mercer County United Way officials are pleading with the community to help the agency reach its fund-raising goal for 2003.

The campaign is supposed to end Dec. 31, and, so far, the agency is $119,000 short of it $1 million goal.

"We've been out making appeals and to fall short at this point would be a shame," campaign Chairman Rex Knisley said Tuesday.

Knisley said he's hoping certain groups, such as retirees, who were not reached during the campaign will help the agency reach the goal. He said they're appealing to individuals to give even $5 or $10, "whatever they can spare."

Jim Micsky, executive director of the Mercer County United Way, said there have been extensive mailings about the campaign to local businesses but people who work outside of Mercer County might not have been able to hear the United Way message.

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