Making a difference within the community and raising the necessary funds to make these positive changes is no easy feat. But Allegheny Insurance is, without question, one business that feels a strong bond to the area that it works to protect. When the need presents itself, Allegheny Insurance asks not how much is required, but how can we serve those individuals in order to go above and beyond the need.

With the “Keep the Change” program, Allegheny Insurance is able to donate water bottles to local groups who can then sell them and make at least a 100% profit. Allegheny Insurance then encourages those who have purchased a water bottle to save dimes with the potential to hold 1,000 dimes or $100 for charitable giving. By June 30th, Allegheny Insurance promised to match the largest donation up to $1,000 for their efforts.

When the coin counting came to a close, Tygart Valley Little League received $1000 and counting from their network of supporters and partners. We spoke with the Tygart Valley Little League President, James Markley, about his experience with the “Keep the Change” program and what his reaction was after the decided outcome of the campaign:

Do you think fundraising is difficult? If so, why? Fundraising can most definitely be difficult. We’ve tried a lot of different fundraisers in the past for our organization. Luckily, we have a lot of people involved that have really helped out and chipped in – not all organizations are as lucky.

How did you hear about the Keep the Change program? As a high school coach, I learned through other people and knew that Keep the Change was successful and a good option for fundraising. I brought up the idea at a meeting and we thought, it wouldn’t hurt to try it out. A lot of people don’t like to sell stuff, but if you give a child an empty bottle and have them ask their friends and family for some change to fill it up, it’s different.

What was the reaction when you first brought this program back to your organization? A lot of the parents had heard about it and were receptive and excited about the idea. Naturally, we moved forward with the idea, arranged to pick up some water and implemented the fundraiser. To implement we had the parents and kids out with bottles and then partnered with two local businesses, the Mill Creek IGA and Bob’s Mini Mart who put out empty bottles and a sign for shoppers to contribute.

What does your organization have to fundraise for? We have a lot of expenses – the funds will go towards, uniforms, equipment, field and building maintenance, etc. We have to keep everything going for 100 plus kids, so it’s not an easy feat.

How long did it take you to save dimes and fill bottles? We started collecting March 17th, it was our Meet the Team Night and we gave the parents the bottles to fill up. We had 20-30 people participate in this round and expect more next time.

Will you Use the Keep the Change Program in the future? We will definitely do it again and try to partner with a few more business. Not all the bottles were filled, but it all adds up when you have a lot of people involved and helping out.

Are you looking for a new fundraising opportunity for your organization? If so, we encourage you to take a moment and learn more about the “Keep the Change” program and see for yourself just how easy it can be!