Columbia, SC (WLTX) - The spirit of giving was at an all-time high at the South Carolina State Museum Tuesday as the 5th annual Midlands Gives broke it's fundraising record.
The 24-hour online giving challenge, hosted by the Central Carolina Community Foundation, raised an estimated total of $1,756,332 to benefit 372 nonprofits around the Midlands.
Pre-schedules online donations, given from April 17-30, allowed the challenge to start with a solid base of $111,521.97. A final total is expected in the coming weeks as numbers are reconfirmed.
Since its inception in 2014, Midlands Gives has raised more than $7.25 million.
“Once again, our Foundation has been overwhelmed by the tremendous generosity of the folks in the Midlands, everyday philanthropists who demonstrated how much they care about the communities they call home and the nonprofits who make home a better place to live,” said JoAnn Turnquist, president and CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation.
In 2015 and 2016, Midlands Gives ranked in the top 10 in number of individual gifts among almost 100 giving days across U.S. cities. This year, 14,655 individual gifts were donated — 900 more than last year — with the Newberry Opera House, St.Joseph Catholic School, A Moment of Hope, Harvest Hope Food Bank, Palmetto Project rounding out the top five fundraisers.