Smith Mountain Lake Gives is an annual online giving day that supports nonprofits serving Bedford and Franklin counties. Organizers say the event is the largest day of giving for local charities in the two counties.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, SML Gives has raised more than $300,000 for participating nonprofits. The campaign is hosted by SML Good Neighbors and uses an online platform to help small charities reach a wider audience.
Hosted by SML Good Neighbors, the online campaign is critical for many nonprofits’ yearly budgets. The platform makes it easier for people to support causes they care about and lets groups expand outreach beyond their usual networks.
“So this is one of our biggest giving days of the year. It’s through these public events like this that we really make ends meet every single year, said Chester Leonard, Executive Director of the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center. “So, we really need public participation, not just for ourselves, though. This is also for all the nonprofits that serve Franklin and Bedford counties. Some of the nonprofits out there are really small and this is their only public giving day of the Year. So it’s really important that the public get awareness of this and participates,”
Leonard said in the last two years, the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center has taken in over 1,200 animals from Franklin and Bedford County.
“And of course, the lake, we get lots of bald eagles, we get osprey, we got everything from otters, so you never know. The lake itself has its own natural ecosystem that has a lot of waterfowl as well. So we get a lot of interesting birds that come from just that one particular region. So the lake is very important to us, our community, and of course the unique wildlife that lives there.”
Supporters can donate through midnight, and a link can be found here.