STATE COLLEGE – For the 12th consecutive year, the Centre County community came together to raise funds benefiting local nonprofits through Centre Gives. This year, a record-breaking $2,316,315 was raised via 15,213 total gifts in 36 hours as part of this annual online fundraiser.
“What an amazing 36 hours of giving. We are once again overwhelmed with our community’s generosity,” said Molly Kunkel, president and CEO of Centre Foundation. “This support will make a tremendous difference for the 205 participating nonprofits.”
Hundreds of people gathered at Talleyrand Park in Bellefonte during Centre Gives Fest on the evening of May 11 to count down the final hours of Centre Gives. The celebration included live music, local food, giving stations and a variety of family-friendly activities hosted by participating nonprofits.
“We’re thrilled we could celebrate Centre Gives with the community in Talleyrand Park this year,” said Kunkel. “It was a beautiful setting for the event’s exciting conclusion.”
More than 30 local nonprofits joined the Centre Gives Fest fun. Each organization brought its own special flair by hosting an activity that tied its mission to the spirit of Centre Gives.
Rising Hope Therapeutic Riding Center, a nonprofit based in Bellefonte that provides equine-assisted therapy to children and adults with special needs, brought two miniature horses to Centre Gives Fest.
“Centre Gives means a lot to Rising Hope. We are strictly a nonprofit and we rely on donations,” said Cindy Kocher, one of the founders of Rising Hope. “Without Centre Gives, we wouldn’t be able to feed our horses. It broadens our exposure to the community and what we offer and can provide to individuals.”
Spotlight PA, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom that launched its first regional bureau in State College in 2022, participated in Centre Gives for the first time this year. It brought an exclusive, Centre County-themed news and trivia quiz for Centre Gives Fest attendees to test their knowledge about the county.
“We were really excited to be in our first Centre Gives and we were overwhelmed by the support we got from the community,” said Sarah Rafacz, editor of Spotlight PA’s State College bureau. “It was so fun to be at Centre Gives Fest and connect with our readers and hear what Spotlight means to them.”
Since Centre Gives began in 2012, more than $16.9 million has been invested through the event in local nonprofits, supporting organizations in the areas of arts, animals, education, environment, human services and more.
Centre Gives 2023 was sponsored by many forward-thinking members of the community, including the Hamer Foundation, FNB Wealth Management, Nestlerode & Loy Inc., Stuckey Mitsubishi, Morgan Stanley, Frost & Conn Insurance, M&T Bank, King Financial Partners, Goodco Mechanical, Leonard S. Fiore Inc., McQuaide Blasko, State College Police Department, The Hartman Agency, CNB Bank, the William H. & Amy Sue Martin Fund and UDNI.
During Centre Gives, gifts go further thanks to stretch pools totaling $300,000 provided by Centre Foundation and the Hamer Foundation, along with $40,000 in prizes.
For more information, visit CentreGives.org. Centre Foundation’s mission is to inspire and facilitate a culture of giving to create a vibrant community.
