During last week’s first-ever Texoma Gives over $750,000 was raised for local, non-profit charities operating in 12 area counties.
The Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation helped set up and sponsor the event with six other area foundations.
“The community foundation was not alone we were working with the Perkins-Prothro Foundation, Fain Foundation, The Priddy Foundation, Bryant Edwards Foundation, and the J.S. Bridwell Foundation,” said Teresa Caves, President of the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation.
Just under 610,000 was donated to over 145 charities with an additional $145,000 prize money donated to the non profits through the six foundations sponsoring the event. The non profits were given chances to win prizes for donations made to their cause in what Caves called Blue Light Event Specials.
“For example so from 9-9:15 in the morning we had a prize for the most unique downers,” said Caves.
The prize money, according to caves, came from a fund that could only be used for donations made to charities like the kind taking part in the Texoma Gives Event. In some cases, organizations that reached donation goals set by the foundations received an extra $15,000 prize money for their cause. There was a base price set on gifts for Texoma Gives that was slated at a minim of no less than $25 per donation, but Caves was happy to see that the 4,882 Texomans who did donate go well above that at nearly $125 per donation.
“So the average gift was even larger than $25 they just want to be part of the excitement and part of giving back,” said Caves.
According to Caves Wichita Christian School, Olney Refuge, and Lake Wichita Falls Revitalization were the three biggest beneficiaries of the donation event.
Because of the fundraising success of the event Caves said that the foundations plan to host a second event next year. Sign up for non profits hoping to participate will begin in April of 2017. Caves said there is no fee to join or become part of the non profit charity donation list.
– Newschannel 6
