A Lot of Love Shown to Area Nonprofits on Valentine’s Day: Over $1.6 Million Donated in Just 24 hours!

During the 5th Annual Giving Hearts Day online fundraising event held on February 14, over 10,850 donations were made to 140 area charities totaling more than $1.6 million. This year’s event surpassed Dakota Medical (DMF) and Impact Foundations’ goal of $1.5 million, and was a 40% increase over last year’s total.

In addition, DMF and other generous community donors matched donations of $10 or more, up to the first $4,000, made to the nonprofits through www.impactgiveback.org.

DMF awarded additional grants to the top fundraisers:

• FirstChoice Clinic: $145,988  ($20,000)
• Oak Grove Lutheran School: $145,456  ($15,000)
• RiverView Foundation: $86,053  ($10,000)
• YWCA Cass Clay: $80,987  ($7,500)
• TNT Kid’s Fitness: $70,680  ($5,000)
• Fraser, Ltd: $53,976  ($3,000)
• North Dakota Autism Center: $53,281  ($1,500)

DMF also provided $500 incentive grants in the following categories:

• Donations from the most ND cities: FirstChoice Clinic (90)
• Donations from the most donors: FirstChoice Clinic (714)
• Donations from the most U.S. states – Oak Grove Luth School (39)
• Most creative and effective marketing strategy:  St. Gerard’s Community Nursing Home & HEART (Helping Enderlin Area Residents Thrive)

Candidates include North Dakota Legislators Bette Grande and Kim Koppelman, Public Service Commissioners Brian Kalk and Kevin Cramer, former state commerce commissioner Shane Goettle, and former gubernatorial candidate Duwayne Hendrickson.

Democrat Pam Gulleson and Libertarian Eric Olson have also thrown their hats in the ring seeking North Dakota’s lone congressional seat. The GOP Candidate will ultimately be decided at this spring’s State Convention.

Get to know the candidates:

Sometimes the work-week can be tough!

We’d love to uplift your day and stop by for a visit– and we’ll bring treats!!

Nominate your office or workplace to “Take a Break” from Life 97.9 and Sandy’s Donuts.

We’ll surprise a different workplace each week with snacks. So nominate your crew now!

Take a Break:

Enter to win “The Love & Respect Experience” couples’ devotional by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.

Through the millions of products sold on Love & Respect, Emerson Eggerichs has transformed marriages around the world with his Bible-based approach to understanding the love that she most desires and the respect that he desperately needs. Now, in this long-awaited release, Emerson has created an experience for couples that is effective, flexible, and life-changing.

To build this couples devotional, Eggerichs has taken the top concerns that surfaced in a survey of thousands of couples and developed 52 devotionals on the issues at the heart of Love and Respect.

Enter to win:

Life 97.9′s “Hands of Hope” organization this month is the Fargo Marathon.

Planning is underway, and many volunteers are needed for the Fargo Marathon coming up in May. If running is not your thing but you want to be part of the event, this is your chance to help welcome over 10,000 athletes from around the world to Fargo-Moorhead! There are opportunities for more than 2,500 volunteers for the event, and also many ways to get involved in charity efforts with the marathon, including their goal of raising enough money to purchase a new pair of running shoes for 1,000 underprivileged children in the Red River Valley.

About The Fargo Marathon:

The 8th annual Scheels Fargo Marathon is set for the weekend of May 17-19th. Since 2005, thousands of runners from around the country and the world have made the trip to Fargo to find out that it is much more than a crazy movie… it’s a community that RUNS and it’s a community that ROCKS!

The people of this community have embraced this event from the first time it was held, and it gets better every year. Rock bands, cheer teams and everything in between line the FAST and FLAT streets of Fargo, welcoming everyone to what we call home! READ MORE>>

The Life 97.9 and Family Christian Store CD of the month is “Move” from Third Day.

iTunes Review: 

Fifteen years into their recording career Third Day hasn’t lost touch with their deep Southern roots or their unshakable faith. The group serves up classic-style Southern rock through these tracks, with hints of acoustic folk and country/pop for seasoning.

The gnarly, propulsive boogie of “Make Your Move” and the slide-driven bluesiness of “Don’t Give Up Hope” rank among the group’s most potent works. Mac Powell’s commanding baritone — one of the most compelling voices in rock, Christian or otherwise — lends gravitas to tunes like “Surrender” (a backwoods altar-call) and “Gone” (an anthem for spiritual pilgrims).

When not dishing out crunchy guitar riffs and thick, molten basslines, Third Day provides some sweeter moments with “Sound of Your Voice” and the banjo-accented “I’ll Be Your Miracle”. “Lift Up Your Face” (featuring the legendary Five Blind Boys of Alabama) and “Follow Me There” are fiery gospel-rock fusions with irresistible choruses. The message throughout Move is one of healing and salvation, delivered with a raw, palpable urgency. READ MORE >>

Customer Reviews:

“Third Day rocks… This CD is full of wonderful contemporary Christian Worship music. I would highly recommend it to anyone who knows Jesus Christ the Savior of the World…”

“I have been a fan of Third Day for many years-since I became a Christian in 2003. Their work has always amazed me, and I have every album they have ever produced…”

“One of my favorite CD’s EVER. Every song is outstanding and so meaningful. Mac Powell’s voice is captivating. I can listen to this over and over and over…”

“Third Day continues to wow me with their outstanding sound, lyrics, everything is always there. The beautiful voice from Mac Powell is as strong and inspirational as ever…”