All the money is in ( we think)

We received the last of the bike-a-thon pledges in the mail yesterday. While the event only benefited children and families in our state, we received donations from three different states and were overwhelmed by people's generosity. As we figured out how those giving had heard about the event, we've thought of a lot of new ways to promote it next year. We are eager to see how the event grows over time.

The final tally:

The event raised a total of $755, but the impact will actually be $1,140. Read on.

$370 will be given to the child abuse prevention and victim's advocacy center. Coincidentally, this is the total of all the checks, which we'd already asked people to make payable directly to this particular organization.

$385 will be given to the statewide organization that works with foster children, etc. They have a relationship with another agency who will match the funds donated, provided that those funds go specifically toward child abuse prevention in our county. With the matching donation, the total impact will be $770. While these funds will be specifically earmarked for families in our county and not their fostering efforts statewide, we figured that preventing abuse will also prevent some of the need for fostering. We feel this is a great fit for the event and an excellent decision for children and families in our area.

This matching funds idea came about after the event... Next year we plan to approach area businesses to see if they would match donations or be willing to make a flat donation. How can they resists helping KIDS help KIDS?

The total impact of the event in terms of dollars is overwhelming. $1,140 is a lot when you consider that the cost was only $5/biker. People clearly gave way beyond what we were asking. In addition to the money raised, people in three states, from small children to retirees, are talking about child abuse prevention, victim's advocacy and foster children, and they are getting involved. We could not have asked for more. We are absolutely thrilled!