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BenitoLink’s Fall NewsMatch campaign has resulted in great community response so far and gives us hope for a highly successful campaign. The Fall NewsMatch is critically important to us because it sets the pace for all of our 2026 reporting.
What is happening with our hospital? Are we still going to be able to expand our library? What’s going on with Hollister’s budget and the motorcycle rally? We want to answer your questions and provide you with solid facts. But we need your support to do it. We are a locally funded, nonprofit newsroom, so if community donations are low, we have to trim back the number of stories we cover. That’s just the way it is.
We are fortunate to have so many residents who really care about our community. This year, Sallie Calhoun and Matt Christiano gave BenitoLink an amazing opportunity; Instead of putting up $20,000 for our Fall NewsMatch, which they have done for the past eight years, they stepped it up bigtime – they offered $45,000!
Calhoun and Christiano, the owners of Paicines Ranch, are making sure all San Benito County residents can access free, independent news and information. And they are challenging others who can pitch in, too.
Added to their match was the Institute for Nonprofit News NewsMatch of $23,500.
It’s mid-December, and with the help of many dedicated readers we are approaching our goal of $68,500. We are proud of our community and the amazing enthusiasm and support we see for San Benito County’s own nonprofit news outlet, BenitoLink.
Last week, we received an additional matching opportunity of $20,000 to double your donations. We thank Randy and Rebecca Wolf for giving us the chance to increase our reporting power through their support.
This means our new goal is $88,500 which would help BenitoLink substantially as we head into our 15th year. This is a record for us! If we can achieve our goal, we would have an additional $177,000 to help answer all those questions you send us and to cover the local stories our readers ask for.
We can do this together! If you have $5,000 or $1,000 you can give toward community news, please help us. If your budget is more limited, consider a monthly donation of $10 or $20. That’s a year of news and information for the price of a couple lattes each month. Think about it! Please consider supporting your local nonprofit newsroom and make sure our reporting team can hit the ground running in 2026.
Many thanks to all our donors who gave starting Nov. 1! We have until Dec. 31 to reach our goal.
| Alacia Welch | Gary Rocchi and Geri Johnson | Nick Bailey |
| Alan and Bonnie Clark | Gregory Swett | Noel and Jonni Schween |
| Alan Heminger | Gretchen Blatter | Parmeswar Kumar |
| Alice Enyart | Jackie Bourdet | Pat Grant |
| Amara Marshall | Jackson & Leslie Schwabacher | Patrick and Kozean Wright |
| Amelia Ryan | James O Donnell | Paul Scherer |
| Ana Fajnor | Jane Dabo Cruz | Peter Breen |
| Ann Marie Barragan | Janet Dunn | Philip Geiger |
| Barbara Dill-Varga | Janneat Neal | Rachel Taylor |
| Barbara Rubio | Jay and Crystal Merz | Rebecca G Salinas |
| Barbara Taddeo | Jean Alkire | Rhoda and Martin Bress |
| Bill and Pauline Mifsud | Joan Randolph | Rhonda Perotti |
| Bob Reid | Joan Rosati | Richard Mazzarella |
| Brad Shirakawa | Judy Gansen | Richard Ponce Jr. |
| Brian and Liz Smith | Karen Van Gerpen | Rick Edge |
| Caprice Young | Karyn MacKie | Robert Connolly |
| Cara Vonk | Kate Modic | Robert Cruz |
| Carol Hawkins | Katherine A Kessler | Robert La Rocca |
| Chang So | Kathryn Morris | Robin Pollard |
| Charles and Lisa Tobias DVM | Kathryn Tobias | Rohit Sharma |
| Christina Andrade | Kay Filice | Rosemary E Kley |
| Clark Stone | Kerry Tobias | Sandy Arevalo |
| Clay Kempf | Kris & Danny Waller | Sandy Lewis |
| Dan and Denise Cauthen-Wright | Kristi Kern | Sara Steiner |
| Dan Dour | Larry and Sandi Slonaker | Sharlene Van Rooy |
| Daniel Dungy | Lila LaHood | Shirley Jensen |
| Daniel Gallegher | Linda Smith | Stacie McGrady |
| David & Geraldine Wright | Lisa Lentz | Stelvia Locci Chambless |
| David & Kathy Kessler | Lisa Traub Farotto | Stephen J and Beatrice S Rosati |
| David and Robin Pollard | Lois & Stelvio Locci | Steve and Amelia Hatcher |
| David Lobeck | Lois and Greg Pape | Steve Perricone |
| David Ruprecht | Lori Woodle | Stuart Blakewood |
| Dawn Soza | Lynn Overtree | Tami Aviles |
| Deborah Gonzalez | Madeline and Ernest Franco | Terry Andrade |
| Deleta Jones | Madeline Nelson | Thomas Breen |
| Dennis Lawn | Manuel Rios | Tina Jollyschmidt |
| Diane Boatwright | Margret Ellwanger | Tisa Roland |
| Diane Ortiz | Maria Z Middelton | Trish Brem |
| Dianne Carman | Marinne Gennis | Valerie Egland |
| Dohn and Mary Larson | Mark Bergman | Vicki Morris |
| Drew McAlister | Martha Real | Vivian Fisher |
| Edward and Heather Callens | Mary Kathryn Rubino | William and Barbara Titus |
| Edward DeGroot | Maryann Armijo | Women’s Club of Hollister |
| Edward Huston | Maureen Serafini | Yuko Pierson |
| Ernest Andrade | Michael and Ashleigh Anderson | Zhiyon Malay |
| Frank Sanchez | Michelle Noble McCain | |
| Gary and Ria Byrne | Mitch Hammond |