Groton – The United Way of Southeastern Connecticut announced this morning that its 2013 campaign raised nearly $5.8 million for the needy, slightly more than the previous year’s campaign.

Electric Boat’s Robert Nardone and Keith Brothers of the Norwich-New London Building & Construction Trade Council and Laborers’ Local 547, co-chairmen of the 2013 campaign, made the announcement at a gathering of hundreds of people at the Mystic Marriott.

The United Way supports 60 partner programs in the region, deriving support from hundreds of companies and organizations and their employees.

Zachry Nuclear Engineering of Stonington was honored with the agency’s Chairman’s Award of Excellence.

Named co-chairman of the 2014 campaign were Brian Orenstein, chief executive officer of the Charter Oak Federal Credit Union, and Wayne Burgess, president of the Southeastern Connecticut Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.