by Bethel Community Services Foundation
The #BethelGives season is already underway, but some of the most exciting activities are happening in the next few days!
You can find volunteers at Saturday Market between 10 a.m. and 2 pm this Saturday working to raise funds for the campaign, which benefits 11 local groups. At the Saturday Market table, several items will be offered, including small holiday gift bags with certificates for supporters to “give the gift” of a donation in a friend or loved one’s name as a holiday present. There are giving menus that will allow donors to give to the entire campaign or specific participating organizations, and there are great thank you gifts.
This year, thank you gifts and items include:
Any contribution: #BethelGives Sticker
$50 contribution: #BethelGives Reusable Grocery Tote
$100 contribution: Your choice of a #BethelGives Reusable Grocery Tote or a #BethelGives Polar Fleece Buff
$150 contribution: Your choice of a #BethelGives Reusable Grocery Tote, a #BethelGives Polar Fleece Buff, or a #BethelGives Hoodie
On November 27, which is #GivingTuesday, you will also find #BethelGives volunteers at a “Fill the Stocking” Drive at Watson’s Corner, BNC, AC and Swanson’s collecting funds for the campaign at noon and after work. We will also have a drawing that day for donors who gave to a YK Delta nonprofit participating in Pick.Click.Give. The top winner earns $1,000 and the ability to choose which of the participating groups BCSF will award an additional $1000, and second place will earn $500 for themselves and $500 for a participating nonprofit. Please watch BCSF’s Facebook page and listen to KYUK Tundra Drums announcements for the drawing time!
Also on #GivingTuesday: buy your gas at a Vitus pump (North Star Gas or Ptarmigan locations) and they will donate .25 cents to the campaign for every gallon of gas they sell. Or schedule your vehicle for maintenance on November 27 and Ed’s Auto will make a donation to the campaign for every call they get on that day to schedule service.
Are you a Malone Insurance Agency customer? Make your contribution there and they will match it!
You can also continue to ask your cashier at AC or Swanson’s to scan a bar code for a $2, $10 or $20 campaign gift when you buy your groceries through November. Thank you gifts will be offered for donations made at the following locations: AC, Swanson’s, Saturday Markets, online at bcsfoundation.org or bethelgives.org and in person at the BCSF Office.
*To claim thank you gifts for contributions made at AC or Swanson’s, donors will need to save their grocery receipts, which will act as the record of their contribution.
If you would rather give items instead of cash and want to know what our participating groups could use, pick up a Wish Book at AC or Swanson’s customer service, at Saturday Market OR take a look at it online at bethelgives.org.
Please thank our partners when you see them: Malone Insurance Agency, Arctic Chiropractic and Physical Therapy, Ed’s Auto, Casey’s Carpet, Vitus, the Cultural Center, Bethel Native Corporation and Suurvik Cinema, Kusko Cab, Wells Fargo and ConocoPhillips Alaska.
We encourage community members to support the businesses that support our community – and we expect more local small businesses around Bethel will also be participating in the 2018 #BethelGives Campaign as well as regional or statewide corporate partners. Keep your eye out for #BethelGives updates around town, on the radio, at www.bethelgives.org and on social media about ways that you can support local small businesses that are supporting the #BethelGives campaign.
If you miss us at Saturday Markets or Watson’s Corner, you can find the campaign online: Contributions to the #BethelGives Campaign will be accepted through www.bethelgives.org or www.bcsfoundation.org, and we’ll be sure to check in with all online donors about their contributions that qualify them for a thank you gift.
We can also accept phone, mail and in-person contributions. Contributions to the #BethelGives Campaign will be accepted over the phone at 907-545-8483, in-person at the BCSF office, located at 1795 Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway, or by mail at PO Box 2189 Bethel, AK 99559.
The eleven groups that will be participating in #BethelGives this year are: Bethel Search and Rescue, Bethel Winter House Shelter, Bethel Council on the Arts, Tundra Women’s Coalition, Bethel Friends of Canines, YK Delta Lifesavers, Future Delta Nurses, KYUK, Bethel Family Clinic, Kuskokwim Consortium Library (Bethel Library) and Yuut Elitnaurviat.
CONTACTS: Primary: Lisa Whalen, Program Officer, BCSF [email protected] and 545-1855. Secondary: Michelle DeWitt, Executive Director, BCSF [email protected] and 543-1812.
