Nonprofits in Alachua County benefit from Amazing Give raising more than $1 million
More than 100 hundred local non-profit organizations benefited from the Amazing Give annual fundraiser.
To show their appreciation, some of them participated in the fundraiser’s Amazing Give Wrap Party at the Celebration Pointe Promenade on Thursday night to display the appreciation their organizations have for the commitment the fundraiser has to impact the lives of the people their organizations serve.
As of 4:30 p.m. Friday, this year's event raised $1,129,648 from 6,273 donations for 116 nonprofits. The deadline to donate is Sunday (April 28).
Hosted by the Junior League of Gainesville, the party was attended by more than 100 local nonprofits that gathered to see the final results of the 12-hour fundraiser Thursday, which is one of the largest fundraisers of the year in Alachua County.
The Amazing Give gives donors an opportunity to make a difference in their community by donating to a wide range of charitable causes.
“It’s amazing to see the community come together to raise money for nonprofits,” said Demetrica Tyson, president of the Junior League of Gainesville.
This year was the first time in the eight-year history of the Amazing Give that it was hosted by the Junior League of Gainesville as it was hosted by the Community Foundation of North Central Florida in the past.
The Junior League of Gainesville was established in 1935 and is an organization of women committed to developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.
The organization to raise the most money so far was Operation Catnip’s raising of $67,304 was the most money raised by an organization as of Thursday night, but donations are open until Sunday, Tyson said.
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Joanne Robertson, treasurer of Ginna’s Place, said thanks to the Amazing Give, they were able to raise $25,000.
Gianna’s Place is a Gainesville Maternity Home for single college women facing an unexpected pregnancy.
According to Gianna’s Pace, 1 in 5 students are affected by an unplanned pregnancy and is one of the most common reasons women drop out of college.
“We want to give them an opportunity to finish school and give them the life skills they need to help them,” Robertson said.
Dream on Purpose was officially incorporated in 2015 to impact the lives of youth through education and life skills.
The founder of the non-profit, Shareen Baptiste, said the organization has been involved with the Amazing Give since 2019 and looks forward to it every year.
“We leverage the fundraising throughout the year to continue serving and teaching our youth at Dream on Purpose,” Baptiste said. “We appreciate the Community Foundation of North Central Florida for starting this and for the Junior League of Gainesville for continuing its efforts. This is truly a blessing.”
Theresa Beachy, executive director of Peaceful Paths, said the fundraising event gives the community an opportunity to learn about and donate to local nonprofits in the area.
Peaceful Paths is a domestic violence center that has served Alachua, Bradford and Union counties for the past 50 years.
“It’s wonderful to know the range of non-profit organizations our community can support,” Beachy said. “It gives organizations a chance to raise a lot of money in a short amount of time.”
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Alachua County nonprofits benefit from Amazing Give fundraiser
