Last year, the SOS Strong fundraiser shattered the prior total, despite COVID-19 being relatively fresh in the area. This year, with COVID-19 still in the picture, the fundraiser blew by last year’s prior high-water mark.
At the end of the annual awards ceremony Wednesday, SOS Director Connie Cahoone announced the month-long campaign had raised over $57,000 — shattering last year’s previous record of $41,000. The total was actually revised upward Thursday to almost $62,500 after more donations were processed.
The campaign comes at a time when SOS caseloads may be flattening out — finally, after increases through much of the COVID-19 pandemic — but Cahoone says the crisis cases are now showing more violence than her staffers have seen in the past. It also comes as grants, a key revenue stream, are down “quite significantly” this year, so the SOS Strong funding will help to backfill that loss.
This year’s campaign was bolstered by two matching grants totaling $20,000, one from BJ and Kristy Bayer and another from an anonymous donor. Josh Hamlin was honored as the top individual fundraiser with over $6,700 collected and the fastest to $1,000, while Robert McClelland was noted as the most creative fundraiser by offering airplane experiences. KVOE broadcaster Tagan Trahoon, a participant for the second straight year, raised over $3,000.
SOS Strong participants
*Chris Mullins
*Corey Linton
*Tagan Trahoon
*Josh Hamlin
*Jacob Welsh
*Dean Grant
*Robert McClelland
*Aaron Trelc
*Brad Kirmer
*JJ (Jeremy) Johns
*Matt Johnson
*Ken Weaver
*John Decker
*Bryan Crouch
*Doug Hes
*Jacob Stutzman
*Scott Stormont
*Josh Blaisdell
*Sam Tovar
*Eric McCabe
*Grant Swanson
