Great Fish fundraiser expected to top $1 million

The Great Fish Community Challenge wraps up Friday, with more than $900,000 raised over the past few weeks.

Donations are still coming in strong and the Whitefish Community Foundation expects the Challenge to exceed the 2015 total amount raised and matched, according to foundation President Linda Engh-Grady.

“The 2015 donation numbers included a single gift to one charity of $200,000. This year the donations are on par with last year but much more spread out and all of the charities in the challenge are doing well,” Engh-Grady said.

Once the final match is applied at the end of the Challenge, the total amount raised will top $1 million. The final amount of the match is not known until the end of the challenge when the amount raised for the match is spread across the amount of money raised by the nonprofits that qualify for the match, Engh-Grady said.

The second annual Color Run and Community Celebration on Saturday drew more than 430 runners and walkers who enjoyed a 5K or 10K course equipped with color stations where runners and walkers were doused with color. The participating nonprofits set up creative booths at a celebration in Depot Park to promote their cause and encourage donations.

The Challenge ends at 5 p.m. Friday. An awards celebration and the announcement of the final match will be made on Monday, Oct. 10, at a public celebration at Casey’s in downtown Whitefish.

To view participating charities and make a gift through the Great Fish Community Challenge, visit www.greatfishchallenge.org, or pick up an official donation brochure from any participating charity or from many downtown businesses around Whitefish.

For more information about the Whitefish Community Foundation, visit www.whitefishcommunityfoundation.org.