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From Staff Reports

 

AMERICUS – “Going the Extra Mile @ South Georgia Tech” is the theme for the South Georgia Technical College Foundation’s 2022 TechForce fund drive and SGTC foundation members are hoping that everyone will give generously to provide a positive impact on the nearly 10,000 lives touched each year by South Georgia Technical College.  All donations will be matched dollar for dollar!

The South Georgia Technical College Foundation’s TechForce 2022 fund drive showcases the college’s willingness to “Go the Extra Mile” by providing scholarships for deserving and financially disadvantaged students, purchasing textbooks to be provided at no cost for students to use each semester, securing an 18-wheel commercial truck cab and trailer for the commercial truck driving program and expanding and updating the James S. Peters gymnasium to provide multi-purpose classrooms and updated technology for students and the community.

South Georgia Technical College’s Commercial Truck Driving Program has nearly tripled over the past three years and the college needs to be able to expand its fleet of trucks to be able to keep up with the demand of business and industry that relies on truckers to move products utilized by consumers.

The SGTC Sports and Fitness Program has also doubled its enrollment and needs classroom space.  The James S. Peters gymnasium was built in the 1950’s and has been renovated but has never been expanded to include multi-purpose classrooms for this growing program.  The James S. Peters gymnasium is also utilized by the community for large events such as banquets, graduations, probe fairs, and workforce development and training needs.  The expansion and technology updates will provide additional space for community partnership and training events.

The drive officially begins September 19^th.  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 are being sent out to community leaders asking for support.  SGTC Foundation Trustee and Development Committee chairman John Argo is head of the TechForce 2022 drive for the Foundation.

Over the past 22 years more than $6 million dollars have been raised through private donations to purchase needed equipment for 36 programs on the Americus and Cordele campuses as well as help fund scholarships and textbooks for deserving and financially disadvantaged students while also providing needed renovations to the SGTC on-campus housing facilities and existing buildings.

South Georgia Technical College 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.  SGTC has been the top ranked community college in Georgia for the past three years and has a 99% job placement rate for its graduates.

Each year, the South Georgia Technical College 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 $250,000.

All donations to the South Georgia Technical College Foundation TechForce 2022 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 Dr. John Watford.  “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 2022 fund 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% of the SGTC employees contribute to the TechForce drive through payroll deduction or direct donations.

Over $500,000 of the $6 million raised by the TechForce campaigns over the past 22 years has been donated by South Georgia Technical College faculty and staff.

The TechForce 2022 Internal Committee includes:  Co-Chairs Teresa McCook and Dr. Dave Finley; team members Pat Peacock, Leah Cannady, Virgilia Edge, Tami Blount, Mike Enfinger, Chester Taylor, Michelle McGowan, Jennifer Robinson, Kelly Everett, Lillie Ann Winn, Dorothea McKenzie, Melissa Grantham, Tracy Israel, and Michele Seay.

For more information about the TechForce 2022 fund drive or to donate 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.  Donations can be mailed to the SGTC Foundation, P.O. Box 6102, Americus, GA 31709.