For the past thirteen years, something truly extraordinary has taken place in the month of March in Salina, Kansas. It’s a fund-raising event unlike any other. A massive team of volunteers, over one hundred non-profit organizations, and a town full of givers – all convene at the Salina Fieldhouse on a single day.
Like thousands of rays of sunshine concentrated into a single, powerful beam of light, Match Madness is a one-day event that encapsulates, celebrates and amplifies the generous spirit of an entire community.
In case you’re just here for the deets…
- What: Match Madness
- Where: Salina Fieldhouse, 140 North 5th Street
- Day: Thursday, March 13
- Time: 7:00 am to 6:00 pm Central
- You can donate:
In Person at the Salina Fieldhouse from 7 am to 6 pm
Online from midnight to 11:59 pm at www.matchmadnessgscf.org
Via Mail, so long as the envelope is postmarked by March 13, 2025.
Now, if you want the full scoop, here’s how it works:
The one hundred or so non-profit organizations each host fun, informational, interactive booths where you can learn who they are, what they do and how they help. Many provide demonstrations, brochures, activities and swag.
Members of the Salina community come and browse the many booths, learn about all the projects and services the non-profits provide, and have the opportunity to make donations to permanent endowed funds benefiting the organizations of their choice.
And for the icing on the cake, the Greater Salina Community Foundation matches up to $300,000 of donations taken in that day with an instant cash grant back to the organizations to use for immediate needs. Talk about impact!
Throughout the day, there are activities for kids and adults, including free-throw and half-court shot contests. There are free snacks inside and food trucks out front.
It’s fun, it’s informative, and it’s all about making a difference in the community.
The event has even inspired generosity-inducing ideas such as the 5th Grade project, where donations from the community allow every 5th Grader in Saline County the opportunity to give $10 to the nonprofit of their choice. The project teaches philanthropy and inspires generosity at the same time.
Here are just a few of the organizations that participate in and benefit from the Match Madness event:
CKF Addiction Treatment
If you’re looking for actual life-saving impact for your donation dollars, look no further than CKF. They’ve been providing quality, effective, and innovative addiction health care since 1967.
The services they provide are too many to list here (watch for an upcoming feature article where we’ll dive in), but suffice to say that if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, CKF can help.
At this year’s Match Madness, they’re focusing on two exciting projects – The Don Greene Pathway to Recovery Scholarship and the Dunbar School project.
Don Greene began his history with CKF as a patient. Since then, Don has dedicated twenty years to CKF, both as the Director of Pathfinder Recovery Center, and as a passionate and inspiring mentor in countless additional recovery stories.
CKF is now excited to create a scholarship in his name, leaving a lasting legacy in honor of his years of dedication to helping people on their journey to recovery.
As a community, we’re here for it!
Substance Use Disorder has and continues to impact so many lives. The devastation caused by this chronic disease robs us all of the wholeness of our humanity. CKF works tirelessly to make sure no one who asks for help is left behind.
Don Greene credits CKF with giving him his life back. When you drop off your donation dollars for this great cause, know that you’re becoming a part of Don’s legacy. The Don Greene Pathway to Recovery Scholarship will give others hope for many years to come.
Speaking of inspiring and ambitious endeavors, CKF is also fundraising for the Dunbar School building so they can expand and move their Pathfinder Recovery Center there, adding an Adolescent Pathfinder Community Center.
This historical building, dedicated in 1922 and named after famed American poet and novelist Paul Laurence Dunbar, was recently given an historic designation by the State of Kansas. It was once a place of learning and hope for Black children of the Salina community. CKF plans to continue that legacy of education and hope for the entire community long into the future.
By combining preservation and innovative thinking, future generations will be inspired by the whispers of the past in the hallowed halls and rooms of the Dunbar School. That’s something we can all be proud of.
Build A Pro (SM) Foundation
Build A Pro, a non-profit Apprenticeship Intermediary, is on a mission to address the growing labor shortage, supporting economic expansion in our community, while providing meaningful employment and career opportunities to youth, military, and second chance individuals.
They partner with employers to create Apprenticeship Programs for all types of W2-paying roles, from roofing to plumbing to marketing to office management, and anything in between.
We sat down with Founders Ashley and Amanda Jarvis, to find out what Match Madness offers their organization.
Amanda shared that she loves the event’s emphasis on Endowment, which allows for long-term planning without risking daily operations.
However, both Amanda and Ashley agreed that the biggest impact the event offers them comes in the form of relationships.
Having a booth at the Match Madness event allows Ashley, Amanda and their team to teach people about the huge benefits – to the employer, the employee, and the community – of Apprenticeship in general, and Build A Pro specifically.
By taking part in Match Madness, they’re able to interact not only with members of the community directly, but also with representatives from other non-profits. Sharing their mission with others, and learning about the services other non-profits offer, leads to incredibly beneficial collaborations and partnerships. What results is an amplification of the collective good they all do for the community.
Salina Art Center
Salina Art Center has been a pillar of the community for almost 50 years, and a presence at Match Madness since its inception, over thirteen years ago.
We sat down with Executive Director Misty Serene to find out what makes participation in Match Madness so appealing to the Salina Art Center.
Ultimately, the Salina Art Center will use funds from the event to help provide free art programs for the youth of our community. This plays right into their mission to create exchanges among art, artists, and audiences that reveal life. And there’s no better time than childhood to introduce these concepts.
Participating in Match Madness also gives the Salina Art Center team an opportunity to interact with members of the community, to bring awareness to the fact that the Salina Art Center is THEIR art center.
“The Salina Art Center is there for everyone in the community,” Misty told us. Match Madness helps them spread the word about the many activities and events and programs, some of them free, that are available to the public.
Misty shared that, just as importantly, the Match Madness event contributes to a culture of philanthropy in Salina.
“It reminds each of us that we have something to contribute,” Misty shared. “Someone with a five dollar donation will find something at Match Madness that they’re passionate about. And in gifting that five dollars, they experience pride in their community.
The beauty of Match Madness is in the collective realization that we’re ALL responsible for our community. Each of us – no matter how much we have to share – have that power, that influence, that ability to make a difference.”
Well said, Misty!
So stop by the booth and say hello. You might discover something you didn’t know about your Salina Art Center.
These three are just a handful of the many inspired, helpful organizations that will be at the Match Madness event at the Salina Fieldhouse on Thursday, March 13.
In addition to being fun and inspiring, Match Madness reminds us of our agency as a community – our capacity to make choices, take actions, and achieve amazing things.
Whether you have $5,000 or $5 to share, join us this year for Match Madness. You’ll walk away feeling inspired and grateful to be part of this fun, generous, dedicated Salina community.
Once again, here are the details:
- What: Match Madness
- Where: Salina Fieldhouse, 140 North 5th Street
- Day: Thursday, March 13
- Time: 7:00 am to 6:00 pm Central
- You can donate:
In Person at the Salina Fieldhouse from 7 am to 6 pm
Online from midnight to 11:59 pm at www.matchmadnessgscf.org
Via Mail so long as the envelope is postmarked by March 13, 2025.
See you there!
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