Wow!

Talk about impressive. This region is awesome when it comes to sharing our blessings with those around us.

In yet another display of generosity, area residents dug deep and often in Giving Tuesday donations this week to the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan on behalf of 60 area nonprofits.

When you consider where the campaign started locally five years ago, the level of giving is all the more outstanding. Donations in that first year amounted to just a little over $30,000. While it was a good start, compare that to this year’s $217,251.

As a former president of the CFNEM board, it warms my heart to see how the program has mushroomed into this significant outpouring of love and money to nonprofits.

“When the 2019 giving totals were announced today at our office, the room radiated positive energy and excitement,” said CFNEM Executive Director Patrick Heraghty. “It is incredible to see the generosity of our communities in this way, and it is so impactful for the organizations receiving donations.”

I couldn’t agree more.

In today’s marketing practices around the holiday, we find ourselves dealing with fancy and cute titles like Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

Those are fine, and certainly marketers have branded them into our collective minds.

But they focus on the material things that come with this time of year.

There is nothing wrong with that, but we all know this time of year is one where people are prone to be extra generous, as well.

Thus, Giving Tuesday was hatched as a means for people who wanted to look beyond the materialism of Christmas to share their bounty with others in need. Not long after Giving Tuesday was developing on the national landscape, CFNEM officials saw its potential and decided to participate in it, as well, with some of the nonprofits of the region.

The rest, as evidenced by the announcement this week, is history.

Two years ago, CFNEM officials added a fun twist to Giving Tuesday locally by introducing Grant the Giving Tuesday Golden Goose to the festivities. The nonprofit who raised the most funds that year was given Grant to proudly keep on display until the next year.

This year’s winner of Grant was the Alpena County Animal Facility, which raised $18,828 on Giving Tuesday.

Think about that figure for a moment. That number is more than half the money donated that first year of local participation in Giving Tuesday five years ago!

Over the years, I have served on a number of nonprofit boards, led United Way campaigns, and, as already shared, been part of the CFNEM board. I know firsthand the many needs of these nonprofits. I have been amazed at how their directors have been able to use rubber bands to keep operations running. I understand the reality of often having to “rub two nickels together” to get by, when a quarter was what they really needed.

Trust me, Giving Tuesday is more than a cute marketing brand for these folks, it is more like a life preserver.

From the bottom of my heart, I say “thank you” to all those who participated with a donation this week. You were awesome. You were each a superhero in my book.

In a world filled with too many stories of negativity, your generosity has created a story that shines from the mountain tops.

You exemplify the message behind the reason for this season.

Bill Speer can be reached at 989-354-3111, ext. 311, or bspeer@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @billspeer13.