RICHMOND, Va. — In the midst of bike race mania, hundreds of local nonprofits sped through a fast-paced competition of a different sort this week.
The fifth annual Amazing Raise, a 36-hour giving challenge developed by The Community Foundation, wrapped up Thursday night with $1.84 million raised for 553 local nonprofit organizations through 21,135 donations.
The event culminated at 6 p.m. Thursday after kicking off at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning. The results came up short of The Community Foundation’s goal for this year, which spokeswoman Kim Russell said was $2 million through 25,000 donations.
Last year the event raised $1.7 million through more than 20,000 donations, and the year before it raised $1.55 million.
The top recipients this year were Church Hill Activities and Tutoring in the large organization category, with $62,522 raised, and Richmond Center for Christian Study topping the small organization category with $37,464.
Following CHAT among large nonprofits was the Community Ideas Station in second place with $42,751, and the Elijah House Academy with $29,860. The Blue Sky Fund got the prize for second place in the small organization category with $28,150 raised, and Southside SPCA followed with $23,900.
n addition to the funds donated, The Community Foundation raised $180,000 in prize money that was awarded to various nonprofits for reaching different goals throughout the 36-hour period.
Towne Bank sponsored the two largest prizes this year of $15,000, which went to CHAT and Richmond Center for Christian Study for earning the most in their size categories.
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