Lexington, NE. – Give BIG Lexington 2026 brought together five area communities (Lexington, Cozad, Elwood, Gothenburg, and Overton), raising more than $785,000 in support of local causes, organizations, and projects.

In Lexington, the generosity was especially remarkable, with the community raising over $565,000 for 75
causes. Every donation, volunteer hour, word of encouragement, and act of support helped make this
year’s day of giving a meaningful demonstration of what can happen when a community comes together.

While the dollars raised are something to celebrate, the impact of Give BIG goes far beyond monetary
donations. It reflects the strength of our community – neighbors supporting neighbors, individuals
investing in the places they call home, and people coming together because they believe in making a
difference.

The theme, Small Acts, BIG Change, served as a reminder that making an impact doesn’t require a large
contribution or grand gesture. Every gift matters. Every volunteer matters. Every effort to make our
community a better place matters.

When each of us does a small part to help one another and invest in the places and spaces around us,
those individual acts come together to create something much bigger. That is the power of
COMMUNITY.

The Give BIG initiative began in 2011 and, in 2019, was expanded to include area foundations. This year,
Cozad, Elwood, Gothenburg, and Overton each held giving days for their communities in conjunction
with Give BIG Lexington. In all, 192 causes participated.

While the Lexington Community Foundation is finalizing totals, preliminary results indicate that over
$733,000 in donations were received for all causes, including those in our partnering campaigns. With
$53,100 in match funds and prize money, a total of $786,600 will be distributed to the causes.

The Lexington Community Foundation recognizes and appreciates our volunteers’ important role in the
success of this annual giving day. Thanks are expressed to LCF Event and Small Acts Sponsors, Give BIG
Lexington media sponsors, the local businesses that promoted Give BIG on their marquees, and the
businesses/organizations that shared their employees to help at the event. Thank you to everyone who
participated in this year’s Giving Day.

Together, we are proving that small acts truly can make BIG change.

GIVE BIG LEXINGTON: By the Numbers
Lexington Community Foundation presents the following Give BIG Lexington preliminary results:
TOTAL AMOUNT RAISED: $512,044
TOTAL DISTRIBUTED TO NONPROFITS: $565,144
TOTAL MATCH POOL: $50,000
SMALL ACT SPOTLIGHT PRIZES: $1,600
SMALL ACTS, BIG CHANGE PRIZE: $1,500

DONATIONS MADE: 2,511

ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVING DONATIONS: 75

Results of Partnering Campaigns:
Give Big Cozad $58,470 45 causes
Give Big Elwood $100,050 36 causes
Give Big Gothenburg $52,865 20 causes
Give Big Overton $9,360 16 causes

TOP 10 ORGANIZATIONS (by amount raised):

1. JL Playground – Pickleball Project – $58,627
2. Orthman Community YMCA – $51,551
3. Johnson Lake EMS – $32,720
4. Lexington Volunteer Fire Department – $28,109
5. DC Historical Society & Museum – $26,900
6. Dawson County Cancer Care – $24,957
7. Johnson Lake Trails – $21,163
8. Operation Santa Claus – $18,737
9. UNIFUT – $15,590
10. Paw Prints in Dawson County – $10,613

SMALL ACTS, BIG CHANGE WINNER: Operation Santa Claus
(Donation randomly drawn upon the completion of Give BIG Lexington, one $1,500 prize grant to the
organization)

SMALL ACT SPOTLIGHT PRIZE WINNERS:
($100 to a nonprofit randomly drawn by MightyCause each hour)

1. Various Donors – Johnson Lake EMS
2. Larry & Sharon Steinberger – Keep Lexington Beautiful
3. Crazy Marvs RV & Cabin Retreat – Johnson Lake Carp Removal
4. Barb Chase – Lexington Volunteer Fire Department
5. Mike Hodges – Crossroads Mission Avenue
6. Cindy Hasty – DC Historical Society & Museum
7. Wayne & Judy Howard – Robb Cemetery
8. Mike & Ronda Maloley – Lex Majestic Theatre
9. LPS Business Students of Mrs. Keller – Johnson Lake Recreation Area
10. Sara Koerting – Lexington Regional Health Center Charitable Fund
11. Anne Grubb – Optimist Club
12. Tom Alexander – Denker Memorial Playground
13. Beth Rogers – L2 for Kids in Lexington
14. Terry & Beth Delp – Lexington Area United Way
15. Linda Shaw – Heartland Family Partners
16. Tom & Judy Wisdom – Sheltering Hands