NOTE (Tuesday, March 12, 2019): This story has been updated to reflect that while a Seventh Annual Fairfield County Giving Day is expected to take place in 2020, organizers have not yet selected the date for next year's event.

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According to Fairfield County’s Community Foundation (FCCF), $1,719,575 was raised on February 28 during Fairfield County Giving Day 2019. That is another record-setting finish for the event that celebrated its sixth anniversary last week.

Hosted by FCCF with the sole intention of raising funds online during a 24-hour period, 415 nonprofits benefitted from donations of all sizes last week.

Last year’s final was just over $1.4 million shared among the participating organizations.

For the sixth straight year, Curtain Call was again the top performing Giving Day participant. The Stamford-based theater company raised $115,515 through the activity of 1,045 donors last week.

Newtown-based Ben’s Lighthouse was in the Top 100 this year, finishing the event with $6,296 in donations.

Sandy Hook Promise and Kitten Associates also finished in the Top 100, with $5,185 and $5,025, respectively. Kitten Associates (KA) President Robin Olson was thrilled, she said, with her group’s finish in its third Giving Day outing. Funds raised last week will be used for vet care for felines in KA’s care.

“We have kitten season coming,” Ms Olsen said this week. “It’s here now, already, and I’m sure we’re going to be loaded up with orphan cats and kittens pretty soon. We usually earmark these funds for those guys.”

While $5,000-plus sounds like a lot, Ms Olson said it will be spent quickly.

“When you have a litter of six kittens and each one needs vet care,” she offered as an example, “a vet visit per kitten, and then the mom gets sick… it’s easy to go through a tremendous amount of money just making sure everyone is healthy and thriving appropriately.”

Newtown Nonprofits

Ten additional Newtown nonprofits registered for Fairfield County Giving Day 2019.

They finished as follows: Cyrenius H. Booth Library raised $1,500; Dylan’s Wings of Change, $885; Friends of Newtown Seniors, $0; Kitten Associates, $5,025; and Merryhill Child Care Center Inc, $2,420.

Also, Newtown Forest Association, $50; Newtown Scholarship Association, $3,795; Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYFS), $3,322; The Resiliency Center of Newtown, $170; and Town Players of Newtown, $550.

Having participated in Giving Day before, NYFS’s effort this year included a focused increase on its social media presence, Executive Director Candice Bohr said March 1.

NYFS had set a goal of $5,000 this year. While the Berkshire Road organization did not reach that goal, NYFS Executive Director Candice Bohr said she and her staff were “thrilled with the response we received.

“Although we didn’t reach the monetary goal we set,” she added, “we increased the number of donors by 68 percent over the last few years and increased donations received from previous years.”

Ms Bohr credited the work of NYFS Marketing and Community Outreach Coordinator Melissa Cercone for the increase. NYFS finished last year’s Giving Day with $2,832, and Giving Day 2017 at $2,325, so there is a steady increase for the organization.

NYFS focused on four goals this year, Ms Bohr said: supporting the girls’ empowerment program, providing resources for its annual Safety Town course, assisting families with children on the Autism spectrum, and supporting resources needed for senior citizens who have experienced elder abuse or neglect.

Kindness Appreciated

Ben’s Bells Connecticut (listed as Ben’s Bells Project), which was founded as Ben’s Bells Newtown in 2013 but moved to a new studio in Bethel in 2015, participated again this year. The education/arts and culture nonprofit raised $2,607 during its latest appearance in Giving Day.

“Thanks to you, we are supporting more and more people as they incorporate the practice of kindness into their daily lives,” the March 1 note said in part. “Intentional kindness changes individuals and communities, and we are so grateful to have you as a partner in this important work.

“Ben’s Bells is thrilled to be a part of the KIND Fairfield County community!” Maré’s note continued. “Thank you for inspiring kindness in our world.”

Straying From The Pack

Kate Katcher, founder and artistic director of Stray Kats Theatre Company, did not go through official channels last week, but still raised some funds for her company on February 28.

“I don’t know if I did it officially,” she said March 1. “I just sort of sent out my own e-mails and joined a group called Network For Good.”

Nevertheless, Ms Katcher raised $155 for her theater company. “That’s nearly one Equity salary for a weekend,” she said, confirming the plans for those funds.

Stray Kats is planning on presenting its annual festival of original one-act plays. The Third Annual Still Crazy After All These Years! Festival is scheduled for June 7-9, Ms Katcher said. The $155 received by Stray Kats on February 28 will “absolutely” be used toward the salary for one actor that weekend.

As far as Giving Day, Ms Katcher said she is already planning on signing up early, through FCCF, for next year’s Giving Day.

“I will definitely have that down for next year,” she said.

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation is also planning ahead. The Seventh Annual Fairfield County Giving Day, it has been announced, is expected to take place; date TBA.