More than $80,000 was raised and distributed to 21 Valley nonprofits on Thursday, said an official with AIM Media Charities, which spearheaded the effort.
“In its second year, AIM Charities has established itself as a middle man — bringing together donors and local charitable agencies as both strive to make a difference in the lives of the people in our community,” said Stephan Wingert, publisher of The Monitor.
AIM Media Texas, which began the charitable arm, owns The Monitor, the Valley Morning Star, the Brownsville Herald and the Mid-Valley Town Crier — all of which ran a campaign in December and January featuring the charitable organizations and soliciting donations on their behalf.
AIM Charities absorbed all administrative costs related to the fundraising efforts so that 100 percent of the donations made went to a beneficiary agency, Wingert said at a check-distribution ceremony held at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce building.
In two years, Wingerts said, AIM Charities has facilitated the raising of more than $190,000 that was then distributed to dozens of nonprofits throughout the Rio Grande Valley.
Among the businesses that contributed to the latest fundraising efforts were:
- Plains Capital Bank
- Vantage Bank
- Edwards Abstract Title Co.
- Charles Clark Chevrolet
- Clark Knapp Honda
- IBC Bank Brownsville
- IBC Bank McAllen
- Doctors Hospital at Renaissance
- Lone Star National Bank
- Valley Baptist Health Systems
- Wells Fargo Bank
- South Texas College
