The Great Itasca Giveback raises $54,500 for local nonprofits

After a challenging 250-mile journey that started on August 2nd and ended on August 3rd, the Great Itasca Giveback team of Officer Troy Scott, Teacher Phill Hermel and Dr. Simon Lick ended up raising $54,500 for eight local nonprofits! The team’s original goal was $15,000 and they raised almost four times that amount.

The donations poured in from the community—over 325 donors from the Itasca Area and beyond—as people got involved, followed the team’s progress and helped sponsor the event.

A fund was established at the Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation in February of 2024 to help manage donations. “Seeing our community come together for such a great cause was truly inspiring,” said Mindy Nuhring, Executive Director of the Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation. “It’s events like these that remind us of the power of unity and giving back. Our community is known for its generosity, and this is a great example of that.”

The funds will be split between these eight nonprofits: Itasca Friendship Club, Itasca Area Cancer Crisis Endowment Fund, Jim Tarbell Cancer Care Fund, Itasca Ironsides Sports Team, Itasca Search and Rescue and Itasca Dive Team, North Homes School-Based Mental Health Services of Itasca County and Grand Itasca Foundation’s Patient Crisis Fund.

You can read more about The Great Itasca Giveback on their Facebook page.