Tuesday’s cold weather didn’t stop the supporters of Yampa Valley nonprofits from gathering along Lincoln Avenue in downtown to raise awareness and support as part of Colorado Gives Day.

Holly Wilson, with the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, said by mid-afternoon those efforts had helped nonprofits in the Yampa Valley raise more than $1 million.

“We had our nonprofits out on U.S 40 today doing the honk and wave,” Wilson said. “Many of them were dressed up and having a lot of fun.”

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She added that the organization hit seven figures in donations around 3:30 p.m.

“I think that’s the earliest we’ve ever hit that mark in history,” Wilson said.

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Colorado Gives Day involves nonprofits all over Colorado soliciting donations to support their work, and Yampa Valley Gives works alongside the Colorado Gives Day to make it easier to donate to nonprofits through Yampa Valley Community Foundation.

Supporters of the 100 Yampa Valley nonprofits could be found along Lincoln Avenue to remind the community that they are here working to make our community better.

Among them was Arianthé Stettner, who was dancing alongside Wendy Powell and Tanya Lillehoff to ward off Tuesday’s 18-degree temperatures while raising awareness and money for Historic Routt County.

Stettner referred to YVCF and Yampa Valley Gives as the “local champion” for Colorado Gives and a great way for locals to donate within their own community.

“Walk up Lincoln, and you’ll see that on almost every corner there is a nonprofit group represented that wants to support awareness of this opportunity to support these nonprofit organizations and the work we do,” she said.

Powell said it was her first time to hold and wave a sign for Colorado Gives Day, and despite the cold temperatures she was all smiles.

“I think the best part of it is getting the feedback from the people, the honks, the waves and the smiles,” Powell said.

Just down Lincoln, John Williams with Routt County Search and Rescue was doing the same thing with other Search and Rescue team members to find support among those driving by at Third Street and Lincoln Avenue.

“It’s just a huge opportunity to raise awareness in the valley for nonprofits, and it’s a great fundraiser for us,” Williams said. “I think last year we did somewhere around $30K, and it’s a huge thing for nonprofits like us. I think generally Yampa Valley Gives and the whole awareness of the nonprofits in Colorado is a huge thing.”

Just across the street, supporter Kate Krautkramer joined a small group of women holding signs to raise awareness and support for the South Routt Education Endowment Fund. The women want to raise $1 million for the endowment that would help support schools in South Routt County.

“The goal is to raise a million dollars, and once we’ve raised a million dollars, then we will be giving the interest on that investment to the district,” Krautkramer said. “We have a great community and great believers that are really interested in promoting excellence in education for the long run in South Routt, and that’s what building the endowment is about.”