Tommy Hathaway of Superior Toyota presents Heather Allender of Marietta Community Foundation with a check to sponsor the 2022 Nonprofit Challenge.
The 2021 Nonprofit Challenge, sponsored by Superior Toyota Hyundai, was one for the record books.
Formatted as a toy drive for the Washington County Angel Tree program, more than 1,340 toys and articles of clothing were donated on behalf of a local nonprofit to the Christmas gift program.
This generosity will benefit hundreds of local children this Christmas, and this good-doing inspired Superior Toyota Hyundai to pledge their support for the program again for next year, marking year 8 of the partnership.
"We really feel it's important to give back to the community and Marietta Community Foundation puts the donations to the best use in our area," said Tommy Hathaway, General Manager of Superior Toyota. "We're a family business so we love helping other families, especially around Christmas-time.”
The participating nonprofits didn’t walk away empty-handed either. While each of them can feel accomplished by their generosity, the contributions of some won them prizes.
Tommy Hathaway, Erin O’Neill, Heather Allender
The O’Neill Senior Center took first place again this year, which added $8,000 to their fund at the Foundation.
Erin O’Neill, the Development Coordinator at the Center, said “Last year was my first year with the O’Neill Center and I jumped in feet-first with this Challenge. We were able to win it last year; I couldn't let us go for the second year and not win, so we pulled out all the stops. Ultimately, it’s about the children and the families, and the community feeling like they’ve done good. We all win in the end! It’s a great challenge, we enjoy participating in it every year, and it’s just the icing on the cake that our seniors and the community turned out and we were able to provide the most toys.”
Heather Allender with members of the Sgt. Bob O’Malley Det. 1436 Marine Corps League
It was a very close race for second place, but it was ultimately secured by a first-time nonprofit Challenge participant — the Sgt. Bob O’Malley Det. 1436 Marine Corps League. This accomplishment won the group $6,000.
Heather Allender with Bruce Zimmer.
Washington County 4-H saw the leaderboard again this year, placing third in 2021 after placing second in 2020. Their dedication secured $4,000 for the group.
A new offering of the Challenge, four surprise $500 auxiliary prizes were awarded this year. These prizes were unlocked by submitting items throughout the entirety of the contest, and a couple of hints were given as to their identity. Ely Chapman Education Foundation unlocked the first auxiliary prize by submitting the first toy. The next prize went to the first organization to submit a “Superior TOYota,” and was awarded to the O’Neill Senior Center. The Right Path for Washington County unlocked the third prize by submitting the 500th item to the Challenge. Finally, Marietta Band Boosters earned the fourth auxiliary prize by submitting items for eight consecutive days.
“I can’t think of a better way to end the year,” said Courtney Wentz, Communications Director at the Foundation. “I knew that our community could pull together when it matters the most, but I never imagined something like this! So many toys were donated, I can barely get to my desk. There will be lots of happy children in Washington County come Christmas morning.”