The holidays are a time of giving, and area residents gave heartily to the 35 community groups involved in the Emporia Community Foundation’s 12th annual Match Day.
Checks totaling a record $829,607.68 were distributed as part of the now-annual presentation event live at Flinthills Mall as heard on KVOE and KVOE.com. Community Foundation CEO Linda Kehres-Schmidt says the total is impressive — especially given the challenges and financial constraints facing a lot of donors.
Not only does the 2025 total surpass the prior record of almost $770,000 generated last year by nearly 8 percent, but it puts the overall Match Day total at over $4.6 million for nonprofits in Lyon, Chase, Coffey, Greenwood, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties.
Several groups set event records of their own. Team Schnak Strong had a better than 12-percent increase from last year, raising over $120,000. Kent Schnakenberg was amazed by the total.
Pioneer Bluffs raised over $105,000, up almost 38 percent from last year. Director Becky Hinkson had nothing but thanks for the support.
USD 252 Southern Lyon County’s Honor Flight program raised over $40,000 in its first year participating. Organizer Megan McGuire credited Sherry Willard for the idea of applying to Match Day and thanked the community for having “a giving heart.”
Community Foundation Board Chair Paul Dean says this will help the area’s quality of life in a lot of ways.
As usual, the total included $170,000 in matching funds from several sources, including the Clint Bowyer 79 Fund; Curtis McCreary Legacy Fund; ECF Fund for the Future; Emporia Masonic Lodge No. 12, A.F. & A.M.; Gilpin Family Fund; Jane and Bernard Reeble Endowed Fund; Merry and Charles Rayl; Patterson Family Foundation; Preston Family Trust; Trusler Foundation; Waddell Family Charitable Fund; and WS & EC Jones Testamentary Trust, Bank of America, N.A. Trustee. This year’s event also included $2,700 in prize money and $2,700 from the Growing Up Giving program highlighting youth philanthropy.
Totals by participating group (in alphabetical order}
*Arvonia Historic Preservation Society – $26,714.34
*Camp Alexander – $28,919.36
*Chase County Care & Compassion, Inc. (C4 Food Pantry) – $37,166.56
*Chase County Historical Society and Museum – $25,544.86
*Chase County Old School Development District – $19,065.70
*Choose How You Respond Fund in Memory of Dr. Bryan Douglas – $17,073.90
*Emporia Area Habitat for Humanity – $29,222.42
*Emporia First Friday Art Walk – $11,012.67
*Emporia Municipal Band – $7,662.21
*Energize Lebo – $4,135.95
*FEAS dba Flint Hills Animal Advocates – $12,238.60
*Food for Students – $25,772.19
*Friends of the Emporia Public Library – $10,119.42
*Friends of the Lyon County History Center – $23,265.86
*FUMC School Supply Project – $24,102.16
*Good Way Gardens – $8,566.11
*Hispanics of Today & Tomorrow – $6,094.98
*Kansas Spanish Speakers – $19,085.17
*Lyon County Crime Stoppers – $5,942.79
*Lyon County Honor Flight (USD 252) – $40,572.68
*Main Street Mommas – $16,584.10
*Matfield Green Works – $7,577.18
*Newman Regional Health Volunteers – $15,681.95
*NLC Youth Association – $38,591.55
*Pink Gravel – $7,462.99
*Pioneer Bluffs – $105,665.12
*Project Playscape – $12,167.70
*Red Rocks – William Allen White Community Partnership – $8,971.85
*Southwick House – $19,017.31
*Street Cats Club – $18,629.20
*Strong City Preservation Alliance – $35,381.33
*Team Schnak Strong – $120,881.37
*The Baby Closet of Emporia, Kansas – $21,493.39
*Vernon H. Buck VFW Post 7957 – $10,806.63
*Wade Barrett Memorial Fund – $8,418.08
