AMERICUS — “Making it Happen at South Georgia Tech” is the theme for the South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) Foundation’s 2016 TechForce fund drive, and SGTC foundation members are hoping that everyone will give generously to provide a positive impact on the nearly 20,000 lives touched each year by SGTC. All donations will be matched dollar for dollar.
The SGTC TechForce 2016 fund drive will help “Make it Happen at South Georgia Tech” by providing scholarships for deserving and financially disadvantaged students, purchase textbooks to be provided at no cost for students to use each semester, and allow the college to purchase state of the art equipment for commercial truck driving, industrial systems technology and the new electric power generation programs.
The electric power generation associate degree program at South Georgia Tech is the first of its kind in the world. Caterpillar and SGTC are partnering to pilot an educational training program for students interested in learning how to install, maintain, and repair the large commercial CAT diesel and electric power generators. The generators are in high demand and are used by state, local, and federal government agencies as well as business and industry to provide emergency power when there is a loss of electricity.
The drive officially begins Sept. 19. Members of the SGTC  Foundation and the SGTC board of directors as well as other volunteers will be making contac with community leaders asking for support of the fund drive again this year. Postcards and solicitation letters are being 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.
Over the past 17 years more than $4 million have been raised through private donations to purchase needed equipment for 29 programs on the Americus and Cordele campuses as well as to help fund scholarships and textbooks for deserving and financially disadvantaged students and provided needed renovations to the SGTC existing dormitories and the Energy and Transportation Center.
SGTC is vital to the communities it serves and has been a key factor in educating students for the workplace through a quality technical education since its inception in 1948. Support for the college from the foundation, individuals and business and industry has been an important part of the college’s overall success.
Each year, the SGTC Foundation solicits donations from community members to help purchase state-of-the-art equipment and special projects for the college. This year the foundation’s goal is to raise $150,000.
All donations to the SGTC Foundation TechForce 2016 fund drive will be matched dollar-for-dollar by various state and federal grants and the Technical College System of Georgia funds.
“The South Georgia Technical College Foundation is a vital part of our college’s success,” explained South Georgia Technical College President John Watford, Ed.D. “We appreciate the support that we receive from the community through the foundation fund drives. This support has made a tremendous impact in the lives of our students and that in turn has helped impact each of the communities we serve.”
The TechForce 2016 fund drive officially begins Sept. 19, but the drive has already gotten off to a good start with the help of 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 percent of the SGTC employees contribute to the TechForce drive through payroll deduction or direct donations.
Nearly one-half million of the over $4 million raised by the TechForce campaigns over the past 16 years has been donated by SGTC faculty and staff.
The TechForce 2016 Internal Committee includes Co-Chairs Vanessa Wall and Dave Finley; team members Valerie Hines, Carrie Wilder, James Frey, Kyle Hartsfield, Paul Fitzgerald, Teresa McCook, Andrea Ingram, Gail Clary, Minnie Williamson, Victoria Herron, Tami Blount, Matthew Burks, Beth Brooks, Shelly Godwin, Michele Seay, Kierra Sparks, Nancy Fitzgerald, Randy Greene, Karen Bloodworth, and Brenda Butler.
To make a donation to the Foundation, contact SGTC College Foundation Executive Director and SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Su Ann Bird at 229.931.2110 or sbird@southgatech.edu. Donations can be mailed to the SGTC Foundation, P.O. Box 6102, Americus GA 31709.