Valley County was established 148 years ago on March 17th, 1873. Since its creation, Valley County has grown into an area where people are truly committed to a spirit of philanthropy, deeply rooted in a tradition of giving back and looking forward to support past, present and future generations. For the past nine years, community members have celebrated this noteworthy day in March with the Big Give to Valley County. This 24-hour event focuses entirely on supporting our local Valley County non-profit organizations that invest their time, talent and treasure in Valley County and the people who live, work, and play here.
This past week, the Big Give to Valley County was held on March 17 and 18. This 9th annual day of giving was another amazing year of generosity by donors! During the focused 24-hours of giving, a total of 383 donations generated a total of $83,343 benefiting over 24 Big Give to Valley County non-profit organizations! Among the 383 donations, 58 represented first-time donors for organizations. Last-minute donations have increased the 2021 Big Give total to $85,443.21 from 388 donations! These are unbelievable numbers for any year, and we are especially humbled by this year’s results despite the ongoing pandemic.
Every dollar collected during The Big Give to Valley County directly benefits the organization of the donor’s choice. Whether it is developing youth programs, offering relief for families during difficult times, supporting the food pantry, faith ministry, creating rich culture and entertainment in our community or providing educational opportunities and scholarships to individuals, these donations help organizations achieve their vision and mission. These donations truly strengthen Valley County as a whole.
It is important to note the uncertainty and difficulty the past three years have brought with them. It was only two years ago that we experienced “The Great Flood of 2019”, considered the most widespread disaster in our state’s history. This past year has continued to impact individuals, businesses, communities and Nebraska as a whole. More importantly, Valley County has shown an enormous amount of optimism, faith, and support during the Big Give in times of both prosperity and uncertainty. Donors continue to show up to support our non-profit community during the Big Give to Valley County each year. In addition, we continue to see and hear a stunning number of inspirational stories of selflessness, community resilience, generosity from strangers, resourcefulness, kindness and hope from our community and fellow Nebraskans throughout times of hardship and doubt. The Big Give to Valley County is one more example of the strength and generosity shown by Nebraska and the philanthropic individuals, businesses and organizations that make up Valley County. The incredible resilience, generosity and commitment our area community continues to show towards our local charitable organizations cannot be overstated.
The Big Give to Valley County is coordinated by Valley County Philanthropic Partners, made up of representatives of local non-profit organizations. VCPP has been preparing for the Big Give to Valley County 2021 for the past seven months, meeting monthly since September. In addition to the monetary donations received by participating organizations, this opportunity to connect and build new and strengthened relationships with fellow non-profit leaders and donors adds a priceless value to Big Give charitable organizations.
In addition to the engagement and support from Valley County volunteers and donors, the Ord Quiz and KING FM generously provided exceptional promotion and support leading up to the big event. Also, over 45 local businesses throughout Valley County offered their support by providing special promotion’s for donors who showed their “I Gave Today” sticker. This amazing support by our local businesses and media sources is greatly appreciated and a source of inspiration to us all.
DONATIONS TO 2021 PARTICIPATING BIG GIVE ORGANIZATIONS
The breakdown per organization is as follows:
501(c)(3) ORGANIZATIONS
- CCC Foundation: $1,715.00
- Forged In Faith Oak Ministries: $916.00
- Heartland Youth Ranch: $3,929.00
- Loup Valley Ag Society Foundation: $1,476.00
- Ord Flagpole Association: $2,401.00
- Ord Public Schools Foundation: $7,570.00
- Ord TeamMates: $387.00
- Ord Township Library Foundation: $6,398.00
- St. Mary’s School Foundation: $13,741.00
- Synovation Valley Leadership Academy: $600.00
- The Golden Husk: $3,572.00
- Valley County Economic Development: $6,736.00
- Valley County Health System Foundation: $7,028.21
- Valley County Historical Society: $2,250.00
- Valley County Community Foundation Fund: $4,695.00
- VCHS Child Development Committee: $802.00
Non-501(c)(3) Participating Organizations
- Arcadia Community Boosters: $791.00
- Helping Hands Ministry: $2,008.00
- Loup Valley Childhood Initiative: $446.00
- Loup Valley Veterans Memorial: $346.00
- North Loup Popcorn Association: $576.00
- Valley County Ministerial Association: $652.00
OTHER (Non-Participating) Organizations
- Central NE Farm Safety 4 Just Kids: $950.00
- First United Methodist Church: $10,000.00
- Lee’s Park Cemetery Association: $200.00
- North Loup Lions Club: $1,208.00
- Ord Fire Department: $1,750.00
- Ord Golf Course Foundation: $200.00
- Senior Classics of Valley County: $900
- Valley County Diaper Depo: $540.00
- Vets Club Grounds: $110.00
- VFW Auxiliary: $500.00
- Wayside Park: $50.00
VCPP would like to extend a humbled “Thank You” to all who supported the Big Give to Valley County 2021. Your donations and support truly make a difference and we do not take your generosity for granted.
Learn more about Valley County’s 24-hours of giving at The Big Give webpage at www.OrdNebraska.com/Give/TheBigGive and on Facebook @TheBigGiveValleyCounty.
