Great Fish fundraiser wraps up with color run

Sept. 15 is the deadline for giving

Daily Inter Lake

The Whitefish Community Foundation will host the culminating event for the Great Fish Community Challenge — Great Fish 5K Color Run/Walk and Nonprofit Fair — on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Festivities will begin at 9 a.m. at Depot Park in Whitefish. The public is invited to tour the 45 interactive booths hosted by the nonprofits in the Great Fish Challenge and enjoy entertainment, music, food vendors and chances to win additional bonus dollars for your charities.

How does the challenge work?

There are two categories for giving: donor designated and Friends of the Match. Donors make a single designated gift, allocated between specific nonprofits they wish to support. Friends of the Match provide undesignated funding that is used to fund the partial match on the designed gifts, substantially increasing the impact of each participating organization’s fundraising efforts during the giving period.

To date the nonprofits have raised over $800,000. The Great Fish Community Challenge campaign giving period officially ends at 5 p.m. Sept. 15. Donor designated gifts must be received by Sept. 15 to be eligible for matching.

Donors making a donation at the Sept. 9 celebration will be entered into the fish-bowl drawing to earn an additional gift on top of their donation of $25, $50 or $100. Over $2,000 in incentive grants will be awarded at the Color Run/Walk.

To register for the Great Fish 5K Color Run/Walk visit www.greatfishchallenge.org. Preregister for the recreational or competitive run for $10 and receive a commemorative T-shirt while supplies last.

Registered runners can pick up race packets at The Wave on Sept. 8 from 2:30 to 6 p.m., or register for the Color Run. Same-day registration is $15 for recreational and $20 for the 5K competitive division. Overall winners in the 5K competitive division will win a $100 grant for the participating nonprofit that they are representing. Kids 12 and under are free. The race starts at 10 a.m. It is a color run and costumes are encouraged. Sign up to run for a nonprofit and you will help them earn points toward additional bonus dollars. All walkers and runners will be entered for a chance to win fun prizes in the raffle. A free breakfast will be served at 9 a.m., followed by a community barbecue at 11 a.m.

Kids and adults can participate in “Find the Fish” and get entered for more bonus grants while youngsters will have fun in the Tot Trot at 11:30 a.m. and the Striders Race at 11:45 a.m. Registration opens at 10 a.m. for the Tot Trot and Strider Riders and are free of charge. All little trotters and striders receive a commemorative T-shirt while supplies last.

New to this year’s challenge is the Jingle Competition. Beginning at noon, the nonprofit finalists will perform their jingles. The three top jingles will be announced at the event by the panel of judges and members of the public will be given a chance to vote online for their favorite jingle. The winner of this competition will be awarded a $1,000 grant at the Great Fish Awards event Oct. 12 at Casey’s.

For more information about the Great Fish Community Challenge or to make a donation, visit greatfishchallenge.org or call 863-1781.

The Whitefish Community Foundation is dedicated to fostering philanthropy, building endowments and helping donors and nonprofits benefit the community.