In its fourth year, a day of giving to benefit Washington County nonprofit organizations not only exceeded expectations, but shattered totals from its previous three years.
Washington County Gives, a joint venture between the Blair Area Community Foundation and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, raised more than $100,000 for area nonprofits earlier this month. That's nearly a 50% increase over the 2019 record-breaking total of $67,000.
This has been a challenging and unknown year for many people due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers were unsure what to expect given the situation. Washington County residents, businesses and sponsors could have easily said they couldn't give this year.
But they didn't.
Donations flowed in hour by hour. Less than 12 hours in, $32,000 had already been collected. A few hours later, the event had already exceeded the previous year's total. By 7 p.m., $95,000 had been received.
Organizers were floored by the generosity of the community.
“I think anytime we can surpass what we did last year is great,” Washington County Gives committee member Ryan Palmer said. “To go over this kind of amount, especially in 2020 with the year it's been so to speak, it's just humbling. To know that people feel that sense of pride in their community.”
Donors recognized what many of these nonprofits lost due to the pandemic. Fundraisers and events were cancelled. Other nonprofits faced increased needs as they helped those affected by the pandemic.
In a year when those donors could have easily held onto their money, they opened their wallets and gave and gave and gave. The generosity was amazing.
Once again, Washington County proves why it is one of the best counties in the state to live and work.
Thank you, Washington County.
