Medical fundraising platform GiveForward rallied the Chicago startup scene to raise money for local families struggling with medical expenses around the holidays. The group effort raised $152,367 for 22 families. Participating companies included Built In Chicago, GoHEalth, MentorMob, and New World Ventures to name a few. “We had 20 + Chicago tech companies choose a fundraiser on GiveForward that really touched their hearts, and they generously matched a portion of all donations through the month of December,” said GiveForward co-founder and COO Ethan Austin. Discount online stock brokerage company Ditto Trade matched all December donations to the Team Tori Riley fundraiser to benefit 24 year old Victoria Riley. Riley is battling stage 4 metastasized colon cancer. So far, the Team Tori Riley has collected 63% of the $21,400 goal to raise $13,414. The fundraiser ends on January 31, 2013. One of the most successful fundraisers on the GiveForward platform this holiday season raised $10,000 over the original $25,000 fundraising goal for Mark Neuenschwander. Mark has been struggling with a brain tumor and his wife is in remission from breast cancer. Ethan Austin notes that this fundraiser specifically shows the holiday spirit that is demonstrated by generous folks on the GiveForward platform. Using the GiveForward platform, the couple’s goal was met in just 12 days. GiveForward has found other ways to give back this holiday season, including hosting its fifth annual ugly sweater pub crawl on December 1. The pub crawl raised money for Chicago area families in need.
