Christmas Tree Fundraiser Results
Twelve local nonprofit organizations unwrapped some extra-special Christmas gifts recently. The nonprofits were featured in the third annual Watertown Community Foundation Christmas Tree Fundraiser at the Watertown Regional Library. The public donated $9,672 to the effort which ran through the month of December – an impressive 43% increase over 2011 gifts.
The event was established to create another way for organizations to obtain unrestricted dollars for their annual budgets. These monies may be used for anything from monthly bills to an unforeseen expense – sustainable help that is sometimes hard to come by throughout the year. Donations were matched by the foundation up to $250 for each organization. The organization with the most in donations received an additional $500 foundation grant.
All organizations made their match by raising at least $250. Participants were: Codington County 4-H, Codington County Heritage Museum, Glacial Lakes Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, Lake Area Zoological Society, Mellette Memorial Association, Watertown Area Special Olympics, Watertown Area Transit, Watertown Regional Library Fund, Watertown Resource Center, Watertown Senior Activities Center, and the Watertown Volunteer Center. For the third consecutive year, the Mellette Memorial Association received top honors by raising $2,861. In second place was the Watertown Volunteer Center with $2,006.
“This is such a fine event for all the nonprofits – everyone wins,” said Prudy Calvin, Mellette Memorial Association director. “We are grateful for all the donations. The Mellette House needs to have some work on the tower next spring and this will be a great help with that project.”
I just think it is a remarkable thing that the Watertown Community Foundation has started,” added Char Torgerson, director of the volunteer center. It is a wonderful opportunity for nonprofits to rise to the challenge and it’s a fun holiday event for the whole community. Torgerson thanked the foundation for its continuing support.
With the foundation matches, the total raised was $13,172.69.
The foundation gives special thanks to Mike Mullin and the Watertown Regional Library staff for hosting the event, said Jan DeBerg, WCF executive director. “We can’t thank the donors enough,” she continued. “Donors of all ages made this year’s fundraiser so successful. A local Girl Scout troop got in on the action as did an elementary class or two. “It is the donors who really make it happen.”