Community, donors raise more than $107,000 in support of WVU Tech
In Beckley, support from the community and from private donors put $107,584 towards scholarships and other campus needs at WVU Tech.
Included in the total was the challenge gift of $50,000 from Shawn Ball of L&S Toyota designed to support nursing and engineering students. That gift was unlocked after WVU Tech received $10,000 in donations. Answering Ball’s challenge, donors made gifts to support a range of campus initiatives.
Elmer Coppolose contributed $12,500 to establish a provost fund. Little General Stores, Inc., made a $10,000 gift to support student-athletes. Ed Robinson gave $20,000 to a fund established last year to build a residence for the Campus President. John Jarrett gave $2,500 to the WVU Tech student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Community donors gave online and in-person at a special fundraising event hosted at Chick-fil-a on Eisenhower Drive. For each cookie sold during Day of Giving, the company donated $1, raising a total of $300.
For students like Melissa Harper, a junior health services administration major from Charleston, West Virginia, that support makes all the difference.
"In a community, you really have to help each other and hold each other up - and that's what Beckley is doing for us," she said.
Harper is the recipient of a number of scholarships, and said that without that support, she would never have the chance to chase her dream of running a hospital.
"It makes me realize that the people who gave me this believe in me. They believe that I can succeed. And it's so great to realize that people from outside of Tech care about us," she said.
Students received a vote of confidence from within the university as well. Faculty and staff donated enough to help unlock a number of matching gifts.
Interim Campus President Dr. Gerald Lang said the gifts reflect the spirit of employees at WVU Tech.
"Their commitment to giving back to the institution shows their deep commitment to what they do here at WVU Tech. They work hard here. They invest their time in the success of our students through their teaching and support. But their generosity on this particular day is a truly heartwarming sign that they believe in this institution and its mission," he said.
System-wide, the WVU Day of Giving campaign raised more than $6.2 million.
A thank you to our donors and supporters: