ST. LOUIS — GMAC Insurance announced that it will donate a total of $33,500 to 19 charities across the U.S. The contributions will be awarded as prizes in the GMAC Insurance Agency Community Challenge, a unique program designed to help independent agents grow their customer base while giving back to their local communities.

In the program, eligible participants were challenged to increase their customer policies. Those who met specific milestones were rewarded with a corresponding financial contribution, up to $5,000, made out to the local non-profit charity of their choice. In addition, GMAC Insurance awarded the agency with the highest level of achievement both a $5,000 contribution and a new GMC cargo van to be presented to their chosen charity.

Dougherty and Associates of Sioux Falls, S.D. earned the grand prize honor and will present the monetary contribution and the van, purchased from Billion GMC, also in Sioux Falls, to the Cosmopolitan Fund for Children. The non-profit was established in memory of a 15-year-old girl, Valerie Millar, who died of diabetes complications in 1990. It works to improve the quality of diabetes care in the upper Midwest, increase diabetes awareness and develop diabetes education and outreach programs.

"GMAC Insurance is a company that cares about the local communities where it does business," said Rick Pierce, vice president, Agency Marketing, GMAC Insurance. "So rather than sponsor a sales contest with prizes that just go to the agents, we wanted to offer our agency partners the opportunity to give back to the community that supports them."