SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN — United Way of Southwest Michigan will host its fourth Pop Up Giving event from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8 at LakeHouse Restaurant & Bar in St. Joseph.

This event gives the community the chance to decide where United Way funds go, said staff. 

Three local basic needs nonprofits — The Avenue Family Network, CASA of Southwest Michigan and Senior Nutrition Services — will have three minutes to pitch a project that will impact the community at the event. The audience has five minutes to complete ballots to determine the winner.

Individual tickets are $20 and include one free drink and light appetizers provided by LakeHouse. Doors open at 5 p.m. Presentations begin at 5:45 p.m.

Proceeds from ticket sales are combined to create a donation pot. Second and third place finishers each receive consolation cash prizes of $250, while the organization with the most votes wins the rest.

The theme is “Pop the Collar,” in honor of the event’s host, radio personality Pat Moody, of Moody on the Market and WSJM. Anyone who attends with a popped collar will get an extra vote.

“Pat Moody has done so much to help promote United Way over his career, and we are honored to have this beloved figure in our community host the fourth installment of Pop Up Giving,” said Charlotte Becker, director of annual campaign at United Way of Southwest Michigan. “Everyone loves Pat’s signature popped collar, so we thought of this fun tribute to him.”

The event’s sponsor is Kinexus, a nonprofit economic development organization. It has provided $1,500 to get the donation pot started.

“Kinexus was the winning income nonprofit at United Way’s second Pop Up Giving in January, and we want to pay it forward this time around to one of the basic needs nonprofits,” said Al Pscholka, vice president of public relations and government affairs at Kinexus. “Pop Up Giving is a great opportunity for nonprofits to get the message of their mission out to the community—and compete for a chance for receive needed direct funds for a specific project.”

For more information and to buy tickets, United Way said to visit uwsm.org/pop-up-giving.