As rain fell steadily on the church grove the afternoon of Aug. 16, parishioners huddled beneath tents and a pavilion, waiting to learn whether months of fundraising had paid off.

When the final total was announced, cheers broke out.

A coalition of 14 Lehigh Valley churches raised $45,000 through Union UCC’s second annual “Love Your Neighbor” fundraiser, more than doubling its $20,000 goal and generating enough funding to erase approximately $6 million in medical debt for residents of Lehigh and Northampton counties and elsewhere in Pennsylvania.

The fundraiser benefits Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that purchases qualifying medical debt for pennies on the dollar and abolishes it on behalf of patients.

Parishioners from the participating congregations gathered at Neffs Church Grove for a community picnic celebrating the campaign’s success. Despite persistent rain, attendees enjoyed free food, raffles and music from The Pour Boys, a cover band that includes the Rev. Bob Gutekunst of Grace UCC in Northampton.

Food and raffle prizes were donated by church members and local businesses, with prizes ranging from gift cards and handmade quilts to a new generator.

“I had no idea we would exceed our goal, but it shows the power of when people come together and what we can do when we do that,” said the Rev. Kris Snyder of Union UCC, who launched the fundraiser last year as a 60th birthday project with a goal of raising $6,000.

Last year’s effort raised $10,000, which was matched to eliminate $1 million in medical debt. Snyder said interest in the campaign grew throughout the Lehigh Valley as more congregations joined the effort.

Pastors and parishioners shared personal stories about the burden of medical debt and the relief they hope recipients will experience when notification letters arrive.

“That I could eliminate $100 of debt by contributing $1, that doesn’t make sense,” said the Rev. Steve Davis of St. John’s UCC in Fullerton. “The more people checked it out, the more they discovered this is something we can do that will change our community.”

Davis told the crowd he once struggled with medical debt himself and understands how difficult it can be to recover financially after a health crisis.

The Rev. Jo Marchetto of The Barn in Allentown said her own medical bills helped reinforce the importance of the fundraiser.

“Any kind of debt like this just straps people, and it binds them,” Marchetto said. “I can’t wait to hear about the relief that comes to our families locally when they get the news that their debt is gone.”

Snyder said the original $20,000 goal would have covered all of the qualifying medical debt Undue Medical Debt currently handles in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Because donations exceeded that amount, additional funds are expected to be applied to debt in surrounding counties and possibly elsewhere in Pennsylvania.