By SALINA POST
Thursday is the day that people can help make a difference for 92 local charities.
Greater Salina Community Foundation's Match Madness 2023 kicks off online at 12 a.m. Thursday and goes to 11:59 p.m. Thursday.
The in-person component runs from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday in the Salina Fieldhouse, 140 N. Fifth Street.
Additionally, mail donations postmarked on Thursday also will count toward the Match Madness totals. Send mail donations to:
GSCF
PO Box 2876
Salina, KS 67402-2876
The list of participating charities can be found online at www.matchmadnessgscf.org.
Why is it important to make donations to your favorite local charities on Thursday?
All donations made during Match Madness 2023 will go to each charity’s permanent endowed fund held at the Greater Salina Community Foundation. These funds are permanently invested to produce a steady stream of income that charities can count on every year, which eases the pressure to raise annual funds, according to information from Greater Salina Community Foundation.
Additionally, thanks to a group of private donors, Match Madness also will have $300,000 in matching funds. Those funds will be used to match proportionally up to 50 percent of each donation made to one of the 92 participating charities. Those funds can be accessed instantly by the charities to help meet immediate needs.
Along with the giving opportunities, the in-person component will include the following.
●Bill Grevas Memorial Nonprofit Free Throw Contest, sponsored by Salina Regional Health Foundation, where nonprofit representatives will have one minute to shoot free throws for a chance to earn up to $100 in bonus cash for their organization. The competition starts at 11:30 a.m. and will run until 5 p.m. Come down to the fieldhouse and cheer on your favorite nonprofits.
●BE Wealth Half-Court Shot for Charity, where nonprofit representatives will attempt to make a shot from half-court, and the winner will receive an extra $1,000 for their organization. The competition starts at 5:30 p.m. Come down to the fieldhouse and cheer on all the nonprofits with emcee Cash Hollistah.
●Food trucks, including Saddle Jack’s BBQ, and Taco’s Food Truck will be serving food from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. outside of the Salina Fieldhouse.
●Nonprofit booths will be set up from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Visit the nonprofit booths and participate in the “Around the World” booth contest. Get a stamp at five or more booths and be entered to win a special prize at the end of the event.