An estimated $165,000 raised during the third annual Seward County Gives week will help 41 local organizations.
“Every dollar really does make a difference. I know all of the entities are extremely appreciative of those dollars,” said Misty Ahmic, one of the event organizers.
The donation tracker online totaled $113, 339.28 from 1,018 unique donors at the close of giving on May 9, but Ahmic said $45,000 in matching funds still needed added in, along with contributions from donors who mailed checks.
“We raised more for that match this year than we ever had before,” Ahmic said, thanking the businesses and individuals who sponsored the match.
For every $10 donation an organization received from a unique donor, it earned one point toward matching funds. More points equaled a higher match, but every organization received some.
The sale of “I Love Seward County” T-shirts generated $600, which was awarded to the Milford Volunteer Fire Department through a raffle at the Gives on the Green finale party.
MVFD also won other match challenges at the event, adding to their total to put toward a training structure.
“They earned $2,300 extra in match prizes just for being there and having a good time,” Ahmic said. “They worked really hard all week.”
Though total numbers were down from past years, Ahmic said the event was still a success, not only in rasing money but in raising awareness about the participating organizations and their projects.
Their missions range from helping victims of domestic violence to encouraging literacy to pet rescue efforts to supporting veterans.
“The work that the organizations put in was tremendous. They put in so much work, so much effort. The work they did leading up to the event was amazing,” she said. “They came together in ways I had not seen in the past. They had really creative ideas.”
Every dollar raised will stay in Seward County, and each participating organization must submit a year-end report to the Seward County Gives committee showing how they used the money.
Ahmic said she hopes donors will remember these organizations throughout the year and continue to support them, even though the week of giving is over.
“The need continues. It’s still going to be there tomorrow. It’s still going to be there next week,” she said.
She expressed her gratitude for the organizations and the work they do to help Seward County residents.
“Without them, so many services and so many things wouldn’t be getting done,” she said. “We are here to promote and to serve the organizations. That’s what we aim to do.”
Plans are already underway for Seward County Gives in 2025.
Organizations wishing to participate should watch for details and plan to attend an informational meeting in the spring.
They may also reach out to the committee via its Facebook page, Seward County Gives, for more information.
“Thank you to Seward County for believing in this,” Ahmic said. “We’re looking forward to next year.”
