South Georgia Tech employees give generously to Foundation TechForce 2016 Fund Drive

The South Georgia Technical College Foundation kicked off its seventeenth annual TechForce fundraising drive and South Georgia Technical College employees demonstrated their commitment to help “Make it Happen at 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 “Make it Happen at 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 2016 kickoff drive. SGTC employees also took part in “Make it Happen at 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 “Family Frenzy” game-show. As part of the luncheon activities, employees played a “Family Frenzy” game which allowed employees to guess the most popular answers to questions submitted in a poll to SGTC employees. The 20 individuals who competed for special prizes in the game show included: Tawanna Wright, Coach Travis Garrett, Debra Smith, Chester Taylor, Chef Ricky Watzlowick, Whitney Crisp, April Zimmerman, Gwen Hall, Audra Cook, Kari Bodrey, Craig Kelly, Sandhya Muljibhai, Kelly Everett, Terri Smith, Amanda Barrett, Gloria Bell, Jennifer Childs, Kim Miller, Melissa Grantham, Shonda Bodie, and Charlene Williams. Thurston Clary of Sumter Broadcasting provided music for the event during the silent auction and luncheon. 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 2016 campaign is currently underway and the theme is “Making it Happen at South Georgia Tech!” All donations for equipment, scholarships, and textbooks during the SGTC Foundation TechForce 2016 fund drive will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Technical College System of Georgia and through various grants. This year the foundation’s goal is to raise $150,000 to provide textbooks at no cost to students as well as scholarships for deserving and needy students and purchase state of the art equipment for the college’s new Electric Power Generation Program as well as the Commercial Truck Driving and Industrial Systems Technology 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. Twenty-eight different programs have benefited directly from the past sixteen 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.” The TechForce 2016 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 $500,000 of the nearly $4.2 million raised by the TechForce campaigns over the past 16 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 2016 drive for the Foundation The TechForce 2016 Internal Committee included: Co- chairpersons David Finley and Vanessa Wall, Valerie Hines, Teresa McCook, James Frey, Victoria Herron, Kyle Hartsfield, Paul Fitzgerald, Matthew Burks, Carrie Wilder, Gail Clary, Minnie Williamson, Beth Brooks, Tami Blount, Shelly Godwin, Andrea Ingram, Michele Seay, Kierra Sparks, Nancy Fitzgerald, Randy Greene, Brenda Butler, Eulish Kinchens, and Karen Bloodworth. For more information about the TechForce 2016 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 $5,500. Those businesses included: Tuff Truckin’, Carrie Wilder/Mary Kay; Professional Cuts, Shell Rapid Lube, O’Reilly Auto Parks, Love Letters, JJ’s Wings & Things, Anderson Electronics, 13th Colony Distillery, Stone Mountain Park, Rochelle Florist & Gift, Aramark, Wayne’s, Brett Murray, Railway Freight, Advance Auto Parts, Yoder’s Deitsch Haus, Johnny and Nell Wall, J&J Oil Change, LaHacienda, Red Hills Outdoors, Minick Interiors, Flint Ag & Turf, MaeBry Market, Mydamselpro, Camper’s Haven, Roman Oven, Smoakies BBQ, Robert Cook, Adams Food Center, Wells Hardware, SGTC Welding Americus and Cordele, Waffle House, Hi-Lites, Autozone, Scentsy by Kelly Morrow, Central Automotive, Jones Welding, Kountry Hardware & Sporting Goods, Thirty One, Sumter Players, Inc, Chandler Morgan Eyeworks, 2 Dukes BBQ, Roberts Jewelry, 16 East, Pizza Place, Span-On Industrial, Richelle’s, Backwoods Outdoors, Barrow Company, Cracker Barrel, Café Campesio, Monroe’s Hot Dogs, Mercer’s Beauty Salon, Home Depot, El Girasol, Watson’s Christmas Tree Farm, Gatewood’s Flowers, NAPA Miller Auto Parts, Three’s Company, Anderson Station Restaurant, The Maze, Nicole Murrillo/Mary Kay, Marley’s Pat’s Place, Sumter EMC, Zaxby’s Denny’s, GSW Griffin Bell Golf Course, Tami lount, Troy’s Snack Shack, Dollar General, New Image, Leonard Pope, Big Tex, Farmers Home Furniture, Shiver Lumber Company, MedSpa of Americus, Ruby Tuesday, Kauffman Tire, Ellaville Automotive, Gammage Print Shop, ADoore It, Terri Battle/Avon, Sakari & Co., Shear Heaven Salon, CVS Pharmacy, The Hair Gallery, Southern Charm, Food Lion, The Hair Company, Rustic South Photography, Belk – Americus, Ohh Lala Boutique, Main Street Grill, Music Market, Southwest Trophy, Knights Apparel & Gifts, Center Stage Market, Dill’s Florist, Dairy Queen, SGTC Bookstore, Hachi Sushi and Jap Grill, Motivations Barber Salon, Georgia Farm Bureau, Sweet Georgia Baking Company and more.