Cally’s Helping Hands Nonprofit Appreciation held
Foundation 23 helps raise funds for local nonprofits
by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online!
November 8, 2023
Foundation 23 held their Cally’s Helping Hands Nonprofit Appreciation event on Wednesday, November 8th at the Pinedale Library. The purpose of the event was to recognize the 38 nonprofit organizations that participated in the fundraising event that was tied to the Pinedale Half Marathon. This was the second year four Foundation 23 and their efforts to create a combined fundraising opportunity for local nonprofits and for the Pinedale Half Marathon. Foundation 23 matches donations during the fundraising campaign. This year $106,096 was raised by participating nonprofits during the campaign window of July 1st to September 23rd. There was $50,000 donated by 31 contributors for the match. Foundation 23 gave out the fundraising checks in a recognition program during the event.
Cally’s Helping Hands is named in honor of Cally McKee who passed away in 2014. She was an active, community-minded individual and was one of the founders of the Pinedale Half Marathon. Cally’s Helping Hands serves to honor and recognize the many volunteers and nonprofits who contribute so much within Sublette County.
The Pinedale Half Marathon is held each year in September. The event includes a half marathon, 10K, and 1-mile walk/run. This is a high-altitude race along a beautifully scenic course. The event has about 250 runners each year who travel a course which take runners from the center of downtown to the banks of Fremont Lake, and up in the mountain country surrounding the town. The date for next year’s event is Saturday, September 21, 2024.
In 2022, the focus of the Pinedale Half Marathon was shifted from a one-day race into a three-month fundraising campaign for the nonprofits in Sublette County, Wyoming. It was somewhat patterned after Old Bill’s Fun Run held in Teton County and has raised millions of dollars for local non-profits. Similarly, a portion of each race entry was designated to the participants' nonprofit of choice, and additional donations to those participating nonprofits were accepted. There was also a pool of funds from generous donors that matched all donations, and with the 2022 inaugural campaign, $48,956 was raised for 30 different nonprofits in Sublette County, Wyoming. Foundation 23 was created to help broaden the scope of fundraising, and create more community awareness and organization. They are a community foundation dedicated to strengthening and building the Sublette County community through fundraising and advocacy for local nonprofits. 2023 Participating Nonprofits Big Piney/Marbleton Community Development Boulder Community Citizens Center Bridges of Sublette County Children's Discovery Center Children's Learning Center Community Bak Pak Program Friends of Big Piney Rec Friends of the Bridger-Teton Friends of PAC Green River Valley Program of JHLT Green River Outreach for Wilderness Foundation (Camp GROW) Green River Valley Museum Happy Endings Animal Rescue LOBA Memorial (Local Outreach for the Benefit of Animals) McKenzie Meningitis Foundation M.E.S.A. Therapeutic Horsemanship, Inc. Mountain Man Back Country Horsemen Pinedale Community Food Basket Pinedale Fine Arts Council Pinedale Community Summer Lunch Program Pinedale Hockey Association Pinedale Preschool Pinedale Theatre Company Power In Pink - Sublette County Rendezvous Pointe Reclaiming Hope Sexual Assault Family Violence (SAFV) Task Force Southwest Sublette County Pioneers Senior Center Sublette Center Sublette County 4-H Foundation Sublette County Health Foundation Sublette County Historical Society/Museum of the Mountain Man Sublette County Library Foundation Sublette County Sea Turtles Swim Team Sublette Trails Association Tip Top Search & Rescue Wind River Skate Club Winter Range Foundation
$50,000 Match funds were provided by: Abigail Beck Mike & Tami Crosson Foundation 23 Kerry Gold High Mountain Real Estate Susan Holz Donald & Valerie Jackson Ken & Julie Konicek Scott & Madeline Kosiba Joni Mack Linda Mednick Dave & Ann Chambers Noble Mike Fenn Jason & Sonja Rife Michael & Claudia Schrotz Kelly & Denise Tegeler John & Wendy Walter Craig & Lainey Wright 3 Anonymous Donors
For more information, contact: Foundation 23 P.O. Box 2135 Pinedale, WY 82941 info@foundation23.org
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