By: Ryan Duey
Photo Courtesy of CCCIF
The Clay Center Community Improvement Foundation’s (CCCIF) 2025 Gather for Good Match Day Event is less than a month away. Set for Thursday, September 18th, the day will bring the community together in support of various nonprofit organizations.
Krista Thomas, Executive Director, is very excited to be part of this annual event for the first time. As a previous donor, she looks forward to seeing the community come together.
“This is the first big event that I am a part of with CCCIF, and I’m really looking forward to having the chance and opportunity to meet with donors face to face. I have had limited opportunities for that so far, so I’m really looking forward to that and just seeing the inner workings.”
“Also, being at the Live Event in person, being able to mingle with the nonprofits that are set up there will be great.”
“I’m just really looking forward to a day where we are all together for the good of all the nonprofits in our community.”
Thanks to the generous local donors and the Patterson Family Foundation of Kansas City, each nonprofit will be offered up to $2,000 in matching funds this year. Every dollar donated to a local nonprofit will be matched 50%, greatly helping the nonprofits and the community as a whole.
Thomas spoke about the extra benefit of donating at the Live Event, which takes place at the Clay County Museum from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m.
“The Live event is great because all of the nonprofits have the opportunity to set up a table to promote their cause and what they’re fundraising for.”
“Donating in person also allows you to enter the hourly drawing, we give away $50 each hour on the hour. If you donate in person. You get to sign up with your name and the fund of your choice, and if your fund is drawn, they get an additional $50.”
She also spoke about a brand new addition to Match Day.
“We are starting a new program this year with some young philanthropists at Garfield Elementary.”
“We have had a generous donor donate $200 to their building, which will mean each classroom gets $25 to spend, and the classroom gets to decide how that money is distributed.”
“The kids will see that they might be a part of a fund. We’ve got the Youth Golf Club, there’s a Basketball Club, Parks and Rec is on there, also the Zoo.”
“We want to make it personal for them. Showing the kids that these people support me, and now I’m able to support them in return, helping them to understand what philanthropy is.”
Thomas will be doing an assembly at Garfield Elementary on September 5th for all the students. She plans to educate them on what philanthropy is and how they can give back to their community.
If you can’t make the live event, donations can be conveniently made by check to CCCIF. The check must be received no later than September 22nd. You can also donate online via the Gather for Good Match Day website on the 18th from midnight to 11:59 p.m.
Visit www.gatherforgoodcc.com for more information on ways you can give, and to see all eligible nonprofits for this year’s Match Day.
