Submissions open for fall Gervais Street Bridge Dinner beneficiaries - ColaDaily.com

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Nonprofits based in Lexington or Richland counties can now apply to become a beneficiary of the October Gervais Street Bridge Dinner.

The annual event brings members of the Columbia and West Columbia communities together for an evening of dining, dancing and fun across the bridge that connects them. Funds from the dinner, hosted by Carolina Together, go toward a group of local nonprofit organizations.

The dinner is usually held once a year, but to make up for the cancellation in 2020, is being held twice this year. The follow up to the spring Gervais Street Bridge Dinner will be held in October.

Carolina Together director of marketing and communications, Neil Boone, said they will accept 11 beneficiaries for the October event, representative of the number of arches on the bridge. "We want to choose 11 beneficiaries that help hold up our community," Boone said. "The 11-Arch Grant will be awarded to organizations that have missions of uniting and enriching the community."

Each beneficiary will be highlighted at the fall dinner, and will receive an amount ranging anywhere from $500 to $10,000.

Nonprofits that have received donations from the dinner in the past may reapply. "We want to be able to give everyone an equal chance," said Boone.

The application process opened as of Tuesday, and will remain open through Aug. 31. According to Boone, all submissions will be reviewed and the winners will be announced no later than Sept. 30.

Requirements to apply:

• Must be a nonprofit in Lexington/Richland County
• Must provide enrichment and unity to the Midlands community
• Must be considered a charity/nonprofit by the IRS
• Submit the formal application by Aug. 31

The application can be found at gervaisstreetbridgedinner.com/benefit. Completed forms should be emailed to gsbd@carolinatogether.org.

The official date in October for the Gervais Street Bridge Dinner has not yet been announced. Updates and additional information can be found on the event's Facebook page.