HUTCHINSON, Kan. — On May 3, Hutchinson Community Foundation received 1,376 gifts from 729 donors totaling $213,401 for Match Day 2016. Combined with the Community Foundation’s match and prizes, $268,101 was leveraged for the 35 participating Reno County non-profits. A majority of the donations came in the form of check, cash or Donor Advised Fund transfer between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Eagle Media Center.
Online, the Give Local America giving platform experienced some technical difficulties. Because of this, online giving was extended through May 4 at 5 p.m. During the extension, total gifts increased by $10,000, bringing the number of online donations to 196, for a total of $17,000.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three non-profits for most money raised for endowment and most individual donors. Organizations that will be receiving prizes are:
Prizes for Most Money Raised for Endowment
1st Place, $1,000: Boys & Girls Club of Hutchinson – $21,117.25
2nd Place, $500: United Way – $14,985.00
3rd Place, $250: New Beginnings – $14,790.00
Prizes for Most Individual Donors
1st Place, $1,000: Cancer Council of Reno County – 79
2nd Place, $500: Dillon Nature Center – 72
3rd Place, $250: Boys & Girls Club of Hutchinson – 69
Match Day Moments – Worth Mentioning
More than 30 families attended Match Day, sharing in the joy of giving.
Five-year-old Ellen Corey toted her own purse to Match Day and made a donation of $7.70, dividing it among four of her favorite organizations: Boys & Girls Club of Hutchinson, Cancer Council of Reno County, Dillon Nature Center and Hutchinson Symphony Association.
With Teacher Appreciation Week in mind, Lauren Denison and her younger brother Clark made donations to the Hutchinson Public Schools’ endowment in honor of their favorite teachers, Mr. Reilly, Mr. Woody and Mr. Hines.
Hutchinson Community College Honors Program students decided to “Make it Greater” on Match Day by giving money they raised in their bake sale and 50/50 fundraiser to the Fund for Hutchinson.
Match Day provided a wonderful networking opportunity for non-profit staff members. Tonya Gehring of Strataca was grateful for the chance to visit with Stacy Cleaves of the Hutchinson Animal Shelter and Adzianna Souba of Cause for Paws. “We discovered we face some of the same challenges, and we were able to talk through ideas of how we may be able to better support one another in our work,” Gehring said.