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Causes to have their day on the Square
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MONROE - Twenty-five Green County charitable organizations will gather on the Monroe Square on Saturday to raise money for their respective causes.

As part of Monroe's first annual Generosity Day, Thrivent Financial will partner with organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Monroe Clinic, Family Promise and more for a day of community support.

Nikki Matley, financial associate at Thrivent's Monroe branch and project manager of Generosity Day, said the event is part of a statewide initiative by Thrivent to create a day of community generosity.

Matley said Thrivent grants seed money to organizations to create "action teams" for fundraising, education or community service purposes. Twenty-five action teams in Green County will work on Generosity Day.

"We want to see 1,000 action teams working in Wisconsin in one day," Matley said.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, booths on the Monroe Square will invite residents to offer donations or other services to raise money.

For example, Matley said, at Big Brothers Big Sisters, people can donate old pairs of jeans to be converted into shoes for people in Uganda. The Knights of Columbus will sell snow cones, Family Promise will collect cleaning supplies, and Green Haven Family Advocates will invite people to put together "blessing bags" of supplies for domestic abuse shelters.

"We want people to be able to make a tangible impact," said Jordan Norby of Main Street Monroe, who is helping to set up the event. "We understand the importance of bringing attention to causes like this."

Tammy Andries, spokesperson for the Madison branch of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, said that although she hoped to raise some money, it is far more important to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer.

"It's an under-funded, under-studied disease," Andries, a pancreatic cancer survivor, said. "Quite a lot of people in the community have been affected by it."

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network will have a dunk tank, where people can buy three attempts to dunk volunteers for one dollar, and a quilting booth where people can decorate and purchase quilting squares.

Matley said attendees will be given punch cards that can be punched for participating at each booth. With 10 punches, attendees can get food from local vendors, while children can play in a bounce house.

Also, Christian band Vigilant Soul will perform at 11 a.m. at the Green County Courthouse, Matley said.

Matley said other Generosity Day events throughout the state are getting traction as well.

"In Delavan, they're really excited to get started," Matley said. "I know Monroe is like 'game on,' but there's no competition. We just want to raise as much as we can."