Members of the United Way of West Central Mississippi officially kicked off their Pace-setter campaign Wednesday over breakfast at the BB Club on Clay Street.

The campaign will run through Aug. 31, and the group of 10 businesses along with the Vicksburg Warren School District, the Vicksburg Catholic School and Hinds Community College expect to raise 30 to 38 percent of the overall $1,415,000, Director of Community Investments Tami Milazzo said.

Second-year Pacesetter Campaign chairperson Susan Johnston said the fundraiser is driven by strong companies year after year.

“Each company sets its own goal of how they want to raise money. Most of the time they meet their goals,” said Johnston.

Last year, pacesetters collected $509,883, Milazzo said.

“We don’t measure success by the amount of money we raise each year. We measure success by the overall impact we’ve had in the specific areas and in the lives improved,” said Milazzo.

Robyn Lea, 2010 campaign chairperson, has high expectations for the upcoming overall fundraiser.

“We’re very excited about the whole campaign, especially with the response we got last year with exceeding the goal,” said Lea. “It’s up to us to meet people’s needs.”

The regular campaign will run from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 with a formal kickoff on Sept. 3 at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center at 1302 Adams St., Milazzo said.

The chapter’s 20 member agencies provide assistance in Yazoo, Sharkey, Issaquena, Claiborne and Warren counties along with Madison Parish in Louisiana.

Milazzo said the nonprofit and accompanying agencies “work hard every day to advance the common good by focusing on income, education and health. These are the specific areas that we’ve targeted in our communities we serve.”