FARGO, N.D. (GHD) – It was another record-breaking Giving Hearts Day, a 24-hour fundraising event benefitting nearly 550 charities throughout North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.

Charities raised a preliminary figure of $26,204,684 from 40,701 donors – approximately $4.2 million more than in 2021.

Unaudited figures indicate that 89,798 total donations were made. Giving Hearts Day charities have now raised more than $138 million since the event’s inception in 2008. Official giving statistics and details will be released after all data is verified. Donors also had the opportunity to pledge to volunteer or give goods. 802 volunteerism pledges and 248 goods pledges were made.

For the second consecutive year, Giving Hearts Day hosted the Giving Hearts Day Sweepstakes. More than $30,000 worth of “golden tickets” were awarded to participating charities, with the $10,000 prize going to Soul Solutions Recovery Center in Fargo. Greg McCormick of Fargo was the winner of the grand prize, a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss donated by Gate City Bank. McCormick’s winning entry was the result of a donation to Make-A-Wish North Dakota. Gate City Bank also surprised Make-A-Wish North Dakota with a $15,000 gift.

New this year was the Giving Hearts Day Artist of the Year presented by Pifer’s. Fargo-based painter Kate Baldock donated a 1/1 piece, which was sold for $2,025. 100% of the auction proceeds were donated to Churches United in Moorhead, Minnesota, as directed by the winning bidder.

In partnership with Bell Bank, Giving Hearts Day hosted its first-ever TikTok challenge, which saw 336 submissions and 203,000 views. The challenge winner was BIO Girls, who was randomly chosen to win a $25,000 prize.

Preliminary top five charities in small-, medium-, and large-budget categories will be released by end of day Friday, Feb. 11. Giving Hearts Day is hosted by Dakota Medical Foundation, Impact Foundation, and the Alex Stern Family Foundation.