Old Town Cape's Revivify surpasses fundraising goal despite pandemic challenge

The coronavirus pandemic has made in-person events nearly impossible this year. This has been especially hard on organizations that use gatherings as a way to raise money for important philanthropic causes. Old Town Cape took the proverbial lemons they were dealt, however, and made lemonade.

The organization's leadership and volunteers pivoted from a traditional in-person event to one that was part in-person and part online, with all of the Charles L. Hutson auction items setup for online-only bidding. They called the fundraiser Revivify and set a goal of $40,000. Impressively, the group raised $42,300.

Not only was the event a success in dollars raised, but it was entertaining and fun with the art, music and showcasing of downtown businesses. In fact, with the minimal expenses -- every dollar raised was kept by the organization -- it might be a model for future years. To watch a recording of the livestream, visit youtu.be/L_ROjtVlg7Q.

Part of the reason the event worked is people see the value Old Town Cape brings to downtown Cape Girardeau. People see the effectiveness of what they do. Just recently, for example, the Mississippi flood wall received an upgrade as the murals were cleaned and lights were installed. Old Town Cape and its army of volunteers helped make this happen. There are many other examples of the good work this organization does on a regular basis.

Congratulations to Old Town Cape on the success of Revivify, and thank you to all the volunteers and donors who help support the organization's mission.