Friends of the Smokies used Giving Tuesday to raise more than $20,000 to help the Great Smoky Mountains National Park get a new radio system.
The organization says the current radio system is outdated and needs to be replaced.
Friends of the Smokies raises about $1 million for the park each year, but this project is heftier. They want to raise $2.5 million for the new radio system. A grant from the government will match every dollar raised, so Friends of the Smokies hopes to raise $1.25 million. The organization has been fundraising since August and has so far raised $269,000. They hope to raise between $10,000 and $15,000 on Tuesday.
Friends of the Smokies has a lot more to raise, but organization leaders believe they'll get there.
"The outpouring of support is amazing every year on Giving Tuesday," said director of marketing Brent McDaniel.
On Wednesday, McDaniel said the group surpassed their goal of $10,000, and received more than $20,000 from supporters on Giving Tuesday, with more gifts still coming in.
"Once again we were blown away by the generosity of our friends," McDaniel said.
On Tuesday, Friends of the Smokies finalized the design for a new license plate. It will be available for purchase in January. According to organization leaders, the license plates are one of the largest fundraisers for the park, and since 1998 they've raised $9 million from Tennessee license plates.
If you want to donate, here is a link.
