McAuliffe kicks off annual state employee charity campaign

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Gov. Terry McAuliffe is challenging state employees to raise $4.3 million during their annual Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign.

McAuliffe kicked off the campaign this week and set a goal that’s 5 percent higher than the $4.1 million donated by state employees last year.

State employees have donated nearly $47 million to more than 1,000 charities since the campaign began in 1997.

Donations have helped children, veterans and people without permanent housing as well as groups that do things like cancer research and land conservation.