Kim Tillotson Fleming is a businesswoman who leads with her feet.
Fleming, president of the investment firm of Hefren-Tillotson, Inc., walked 16 miles Sunday from the company's Wexford branch to its office Downtown to raise money for United Way of Allegheny County.
"Do you have any champagne?" quipped Fleming, dressed in a long-sleeved United Way T-shirt, workout pants and hiking boots. "Whatever's best for sore muscles."
She arrived at 12:50 p.m., cheered by about a dozen employees, and promptly performed a Rocky Balboa dance. She later handed an oversized check of $180,400 to Robert Nelkin, president of the local United Way. Last year, the company gave about $142,000.
"This is a tough time, and people are struggling, and what you've done is show people in these tough times you can step up," Nelkin said upon accepting the check.
Fleming promised to do the charity walk if her company added 50 donors to the United Way campaign from among 140 employees. Her challenge resulted in 62 new donors, including a five leadership donors who contribute at least $1,000 a year. That raised the number of leadership donors at the company to 22.
Rachel Hawili, retirement plan coordinator, helped recruit the new donors. She said most signed up as a sort of present to Fleming, who celebrated her 50th birthday three weeks ago, rather than to make her make good on her promise.
"If anything," Hawili said, "people felt bad about making her walk."
Fleming completed the 16 miles in less than five hours. She said she didn't do anything special to prepare for the walk but normally works out at least an hour a day playing squash, lifting weights and exercising on a stationary bike or a treadmill.
"It was really a perfect day for doing a walk like this," she said. "If anything, it was almost too warm at times."
Fleming had a close call when a car failed to stop at a stop sign near Community College of Allegheny County's North Campus.
"It almost hit me," she said.
Her husband, Curt, and her 16-year-old son, Todd, joined her for the last six miles through the North Side.
Nelkin said Hefren-Tillotson is not the only company that uses a gimmick to encourage donations. The campaign leader at Highmark, for instance, shaved of a goatee he had sported for 30 years to get employees to contribute.
Nelkin said reaching the campaign goal of $32 million is especially important during the economic downturn.
"Obviously, we're very concerned about the effect of the economy on donations," Nelkin said.
As of Friday, he said, 85 percent of the people who contributed last year were increasing their donation or keeping it at the same level as last year.
The campaign ends April 30.
Fleming said her walk through the area emphasized the importance of the United Way's work.
"I thought of the community and the needs," she said. "When you walk through different neighborhoods, I felt so appreciative of what I have."
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