On November 28th 2017 we held our first ever Giving Tuesday event. The Radio Network chose our Giving Tuesday event as one of their Rainbow Projects and set up a live broadcast at our new downtown office.
The Giving Tuesday movement was started in 2012 as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season (Black Friday and Cyber Monday). Giving Tuesday highlights the “reason for the season” encouraging the community to donate to local non-profits. After two days associated with buying/receiving Giving Tuesday is a day for giving back.
Throughout the live broadcast several of our community partners conduct live interviews. Sweetwater County Child Development Center Assistant Director, Jennifer Figenser, Early Learning Center Director, Rachelle Morris, Boys and Girls Club of Sweetwater County C.E.O, Lisa Stewart, Family Resource Center Director, Kathy Garrison, and Food Bank of Sweetwater County Director, Kathy Siler. Executive Director, Kelly Frink, and Community Impact Coordinator, Shelley Richno, also conducted interviews about United Way as a whole, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and Community Diaper Bank. We would like to thank the Radio Network for choosing United Way Giving Tuesday event as one of their Rainbow Projects for 2017.
We were taking donations via our website, swunitedway.org, the dip jar located at Marty’s Gastro Pub, and four drop off locations: Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce, Green River Chamber of Commerce, The Radio Network, and our office. People who wished to donate $10 were entered into win two movie passes. People who donated over $20 were entered into win two Beaver Mountain Ski Passes. We would like to thank all of the businesses who participated in our first Giving Tuesday event.
We will continue to spread the word about Giving Tuesday to have another successful event next year.