South Georgia Tech employees give generously to Foundation TechForce 2018 Fund Drive

September 18, 2018
hown above helping students to “Celebrate Success with South Georgia Tech!” is the South Georgia Technical College TechForce 2018 Internal Committee who worked so hard to make the internal drive and silent auction such a success. Shown (l to r) are: David Finley, Shane Peaster, Minnie Williamson, Faith Harnum, Vanessa Wall, Tami Blount, Don Rountree, Matthew Burks, Teresa McCook, Chester Taylor, Leah Windham, and Nancy Fitzgerald. Not shown are: Dr. Andrea Oates, Andrea Ingram, Victoria Herron, James Frey, Michele Seay, Gail Clary, Paul Fitzgerald, Kierra Sparks, and Carrie Wilder.
Shown above helping students to “Celebrate Success with South Georgia Tech!” is the South Georgia Technical College TechForce 2018 Internal Committee who worked so hard to make the internal drive and silent auction such a success. Shown (l to r) are: David Finley, Shane Peaster, Minnie Williamson, Faith Harnum, Vanessa Wall, Tami Blount, Don Rountree, Matthew Burks, Teresa McCook, Chester Taylor, Leah Windham, and Nancy Fitzgerald. Not shown are: Dr. Andrea Oates, Andrea Ingram, Victoria Herron, James Frey, Michele Seay, Gail Clary, Paul Fitzgerald, Kierra Sparks, and Carrie Wilder.

The South Georgia Technical College Foundation kicked off its nineteenth annual TechForce fundraising drive and South Georgia Technical College employees demonstrated their commitment to help students “Celebrate Success with South Georgia Tech” through their contributions and participation at a silent auction and luncheon held recently in the John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center on the Americus campus. South Georgia Technical College is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.

Approximately 150 full and part-time employees participated in the “Celebrate Success with South Georgia Tech” fundraising drive through payroll deduction donations, bids on silent auction items or through contributions to the Foundation as part of the internal portion of the TechForce 2018 kickoff drive.

SGTC employees also took part in “Celebrate Success with South Georgia Tech” email contests for several weeks leading up to the luncheon and silent auction in order to earn a spot in the luncheon’s “Through the Decades Trivia” game-show. During the email contest, employees were given clues and short music clips and had to guess the name of the song, the artist and when it was recorded.

The “Through the Decades Trivia” game was played on the day of the luncheon and four teams of four employees played for top prizes. There were trivia questions from each of the seven decades since South Georgia Tech was formed in 1948. The 16 individuals who competed for special prizes in the game show included: Tawanna Wright, David Kuipers, Dr. John Watford, Gloria Bell, Gwen Hall, Kelly Everett, Terri Battle, Sandhya Muljibhai, Kari Bodrey, Glenn Cobb, Don Rountree, Derek Stoops, April Hilliard, Christine Rundle, Melissa Grantham, and Kim Miller. The team of Christine Rundle, Kelly Everett, Glynn Cobb and Deryk Stoops took first place followed closely by the team of David Kuipers, Terrie Battle, Sandy Muljibhai, and Don Rountree. Thurston Clary of Sumter Broadcasting provided music for the event during the silent auction and luncheon.

There was also a costume contest and employees could dress up as their favorite characters from any of the seven decades. Terri Smith took first place with her costume of Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street and Deo Cochran was the runner-up with her Dianna Ross costume and musical rendition.

Each year, the South Georgia Technical College Foundation hosts a TechForce drive to raise funds for different programs and projects on the Americus and Crisp County Center campuses. The TechForce 2018 campaign is currently underway and the theme is “Celebrating Success with South Georgia Tech!”

All donations for equipment, scholarships, and textbooks during the SGTC Foundation TechForce 2018 fund drive will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Technical College System of Georgia and through federal, state, and local various grants. This helps provide workforce development opportunities for students.

This year the foundation’s goal is to raise $300,000 to provide textbooks at no cost to students as well as scholarships for academically deserving and financially disadvantaged students and purchase state of the art equipment for the college’s Aviation Maintenance Technology, Electronics Technology, and Commercial Truck Driving programs.

“The South Georgia Technical College Foundation is a vital part of our college’s success,” explained South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “We appreciate the support that we receive from our employees and from the community through the foundation fund drives. Over thirty different programs have benefited directly from the past eighteen TechForce drives with additional state-of-the-art equipment. The entire college and community have benefited from the scholarships and the use of free textbooks for students. These donations have also helped with the James Hall and Martin Hall dorm renovations and the renovations to the former DOAS Surplus Building which has been transformed into our general core classroom building as well as the John Deere TECH Agricultural Technology program. We appreciate the support of our boards, faculty, staff, and community partners for helping support success at South Georgia Tech.”

The TechForce 2018 fund drive has already gotten off to a good start with the help of employees, business and industry partners and local supporters who have donated items for the SGTC Foundation Internal TechForce drive, luncheon and silent auction. Each year nearly 100% of the SGTC employees contribute to the TechForce drive through payroll deduction or direct donations.
Approximately $550,000 of the over $4.75 million raised by the TechForce campaigns over the past 18 years has been donated by South Georgia Technical College faculty and staff.

Members of the South Georgia Technical College Foundation and the SGTC Board of Directors as well as other volunteers will be making contacts with community leaders asking for support of the fund drive again this year. Postcards and solicitation letters were sent out to community leaders asking for support. SGTC Foundation Trustee and Development Committee chairman John Argo is head of the TechForce 2018 drive for the Foundation.

The TechForce 2018 Internal Committee included: Co- chairpersons David Finley and Vanessa Wall, Shane Peaster, Leah Windham, Carrie Wilder, Teresa McCook, James Frey, Victoria Herron, Paul Fitzgerald, Matthew Burks, Gail Clary, Minnie Williamson, Tami Blount, Andrea Ingram, Michele Seay, Kierra Sparks, Nancy Fitzgerald, Dr. Andrea Oates, Faith Harnum, Don Rountree, and Chester Taylor.

For more information about the TechForce 2018 fund drive or to make a donation to the Foundation, contact South Georgia Technical College Foundation Executive Director and SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Su Ann Bird at 229.931.2110 or sbird@southgatech.edu.

Over 100 different businesses from the South Georgia Technical College service area donated items to the employee silent auction event which raised over $6,000. Those businesses and individuals included: Strange Farms of Ellaville, Dillard’s, Hart Eye Care, Shane Peaster, Barrow Automotive and Gun Shop, Queen Bling Accessories, Westover Outdoor Power Equipment, Monroe’s, Wiley’s Limousine, Dr. John and Barbara Watford, Med-Spay, Brad and Faith Harnum, Dorothea’s, Gatewood’s Flower Shop, Waterboys Bait and Tackley, Aramark, Tractor Supply – Americus, Brett Murray, Mark Griggs, Advance Auto Parts, J & J Oil Change, 19 South BBQ, Food Lion, Macon County Chamber of Commerce, Thompson Gas, Americus Dental, Sumter Players, Inc., Chandler Morgan Eyeworkds, Advanced Clearners, Furlow charter School, 2 Dukes BBQ, CAS Chiropractic, Robert’s Jewelers, Aaron’s, Sunbelt Ford, Americus House of Flowers – Dills Florist, Pat’s Place, Central Automotive, Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc, CC’s Barber Shop, Tepuy, Gray Ghosts Customs, LLC, Tami Blount, Carter’s, Lowe’s, Joy’s Downtown, Clinic Drug Store, Farmer’s Home Furniture in Americus and Montezuma, Ellaville Floral and Gift Shop, Stone River Spa, LLC, Little Brothers Bistro, Barnett Computers, Three’s Company, Lynn Lightner, Shiver Lumber Company, Ruby Tuesday, Cordele Dental Associates, Jeff Williams Art Prints, Griffin Bell Golf and Conference Center, Perfectly Posh, NAPA Miller Auto Parts, Americus Tourism Center, Chick fil-A, Granny’s Kitchen, Gammage Print Shop, Cuttin’ Up – Joey Dunn, Café Campesino, Old South Auto Detail, Cuttin’ Up – Jennifer Munn, Su Ann Bird, Sam Shortline Railroad, Phoebe Sumter, Richland Rum, Sally’s Nails and Spa, Flint Ag and Turf, Terri Battle-Avon; Scott’s Jeweler’s, Shear Heaven Salon, W & R Paint and Body, The Fish House, Tupperware by Carla Stanfield, Vanessa Wall, Sumter Gymnastics, Sheppard House, Red Hills Outdoors, Spent Round Designs, Advance Auto-Montezuma, Southwest Trophy and Gifts, Americus SGTC Culinary Arts, SGTC Crisp County Welding Department, Exum Power Equipment, Workout Anytime, Mary Kay – Jennifer Rogers, Gladys’ Kitchen, Central Automotive, Roman Over, Janet Burks, Martha Arrington, Molly’s Sweet Treats, Minick Interiors, Punkin Quilts, Lea Coe, Scentsy/Melissa Gratham, Usborne Consultant, Professional Cuts, Sumter EMC, Harper’s Animal Clinic, Schley Metal Works, Earl Snider Auto Care, Farmer’s Furniture – Americus, Motivations/Xavier Jackson, SGTC Bookstore, Rodan & Fields – Lea Coe, Wolf Creek Plantation, H.S. Enterprises, Hi-Lite, Southern Boutique, Gerald Stewart, and Cuttin’ Up – Jenny Vanzant.