South Georgia Tech employees give generously to Foundation TechForce 2019 Fund Drive

The South Georgia Technical College Foundation kicked off its 20th annual TechForce fundraising drive and South Georgia Technical College employees demonstrated their commitment to “Impacting Student Success @ 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.

   Approximately 150 full and part-time employees participated in the “Impacting Student Success @ 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 2019 kickoff drive.

   SGTC employees also took part in “Impacting Student Success @ South Georgia Tech” through “Face the Facts” trivia games, bingo, and other fun events. SGTC John Deere Instructor Wayne Peck was the overall winner in the Face the Facts trivia game and Gloria Bell from Administrative Services finished in second place. They won out over all the other employees to finish up in a Face Off on the facts. Approximately 50 other employees took home great prizes in the SGTC Bingo contests and Carrie Wilder won a Dooney & Burke purse from Dillard’s in a raffle.

   South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford did a fun illustration using a smoke filled trash car and a drum mallet to blow Styrofoam cups off people’s heads. The illustration showed how people can do something and sometimes they make an impact on others and sometimes we miss our mark but we need to keep trying and rejoice when that impact is successful because it has benefits for today and tomorrow.    

   Vanessa Wall also did an illustration using a leaf blower and toilet paper to show how when everyone works together, the college has power to “impact student success” just like when toilet paper flies off the roll when it has the power of a leaf blower.

   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 2019 campaign is currently underway and the theme is “Impacting Student Success @ South Georgia Tech!” All donations for equipment, scholarships, and textbooks during the SGTC Foundation TechForce 2019 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 Construction Trades, Precision Machining and Manufacturing, Air Conditioning Technology, and Log Truck Safety Driver Training 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 nineteen 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 impacting student success at South Georgia Tech.”

   The TechForce 2019 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 $575,000 of the over $5 million raised by the TechForce campaigns over the past 19 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 2019 drive for the Foundation The TechForce 2019 Internal Committee included: Co- chairpersons David Finley and Vanessa Wall, Patrick Peacock, Leah Cannady, Carrie Wilder, Teresa McCook, Paul Fitzgerald, Kyle Hartsfield, Matthew Burks, Gail Clary, Minnie Williamson, Tami Blount, Andrea Ingram, Michele Seay-Small, Michelle McGowan, Nancy Fitzgerald, Dr. Andrea Oates, Faith Harnum, Beth Brooks, Hunter Little, D.W. Persall, and Chester Taylor. For more information about the TechForce 2019 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, Westover Outdoor Power Equipment, Monroe’s, Wiley’s Limousine, Dr. John and Barbara Watford, Med-Spay, Faith Harnum, Dorothea’s, Gatewood’s Flower Shop, Aramark, Tractor Supply – Americus, Brett Murray, Mark Griggs, Advance Auto Parts, J & J Oil Change, Americus Dental, Sumter Players, Inc., Chandler Morgan Eyeworks, Advanced Cleaners, 2 Dukes BBQ, Robert’s Jewelers, Aaron’s, Sunbelt Ford, Americus House of Flowers – Dills Florist, Pat’s Place, Central Automotive, CC’s Barber Shop, Tepuy, Tami Blount, Carter’s, Lowe’s, Clinic Drug Store, Ellaville Floral and Gift Shop, Stone River Spa, LLC, Little Brothers Bistro, Barnett Computers, Three’s Company, Shiver Lumber Company, Ruby Tuesday, Jeff Williams Art Prints, Griffin Bell Golf and Conference Center, NAPA Miller Auto Parts, Chick fil-A, Granny’s Kitchen, Gammage Print Shop, Cuttin’ Up, Dillard’s,Café Campesino, Old South Auto Detail, Su Ann Bird, Sally’s Nails and Spa, Terri Battle-Avon; Scott’s Jeweler’s, Shear Heaven Salon, The Fish House, Tupperware by Carla Stanfield, Willene Smith, Vanessa Wall, Sumter Gymnastics, Sheppard House, Red Hills Outdoors, Spent Round Designs, Advance Auto Southwest Trophy and Gifts, SGTC Culinary Arts, Exum Power Equipment, Workout Anytime, Mary Kay – Jennifer Rogers, Gladys’ Kitchen, Central Automotive, Roman Oven, 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, Southern Boutique, Lake Blackshear Resort, Sonya Ferrell, Tupperware-Paula Martin, Find and Shine Boutique, Bowen Custom, Younique/Ali Purdy, Scentsy/Megan Vieyra, Sweet Pea and Magnolia, Alane Howell Payne, Sparky Reeves, Dollar General, CVS, Sweet Magnolia Photography, LeAnn Smith, Good Life Vapor, Simpson Lawn Care, Spent Round Designs, Lipscense – Kaitlyn Neisler, Shear Heaven Salon, 16-East Cordele, Richard McCorkle and Stone Creek game calls and kennels, Gatewood’s Flowers, and B’s Barbecue.