Check from the Chief

"I was completely shocked," said Kenna Bush, executive director with the United Way of Galveston.

Bush was not expecting what came in the mail over the weekend. At first, she thought the envelope contained an advertisement.

"And I opened it and it literally was a check from Barack Obama and Michelle Obama to the United Way of Galveston for our recovery efforts," said Bush.

The envelope that contained the check was slipped under the door on Saturday. That's how her mail is usually delivered. Bush saw it first thing Monday morning along with the rest of the mail. She was skeptical.

"I went back and doubled checked the address and I was looking again to see if there was some type of a scam and it wasn't," said Bush. "It was a check."

We're not sure who signed the check, but the name on the account is clear. It says Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. Bush deposited the check Monday afternoon and it cleared. But she won't tell us the amount.

"For the privacy of our donors. For individuals, we consider any contribution over $1,000 to be a leadership gift and this was a leadership gift," she said.

Since Hurricane Ike, all contributions made to the United Way of Galveston go directly to a special fund called the Galveston County Recovery Effort Fund, including the presidential check.

Around $150,000 from the fund is being dispersed to at least 13 different charitable organizations. Meanwhile, the United way of Galveston says the check, whether it's from the Obamas or not, says a lot.

"That they care," said Bush. "It's really nice to know that they care. We're not forgotten and people care and they want us to rebuild and restore our community."

The address on the check is of a CPA firm in Chicago that issued the check. They say they don't give out any information about their clients. But the bottom line is this – the check did clear and it's going to help in the recovery efforts.