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Dalton State to Host Inaugural Giving Day

10/13/20

Dalton State’s Giving Day will provide a chance for the extended Roadrunner family to come together to help students.

Friends of the college will be asked to show their support during the college’s inaugural Giving Day on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

There are nine priorities for the day, all of which will benefit students. They include a fund for student emergency assistance, traditional scholarships, technology upgrades and virtual teaching experiences, as well as the creation of a cross-disciplinary lab for biology and psychology students.

“When you give to Dalton State you are directly impacting the lives of our students,” said Dr. Margaret Venable, president of Dalton State. “Our students rely on this support, and we need these future leaders to be prepared to handle and overcome the challenges our society is facing. Most of our students graduate with no or little student loan debt, which means they are in a better place to begin contributing to our economy immediately upon graduation. Your gifts make this possible.”

People can give online at www.daltonstate.edu/givingday or by calling the Dalton State Foundation at 706-272-4473. Any gift given between now and Oct. 27 will be included in the Giving Day initiative.

“Private gifts to Dalton State help us to deliver a first-class college experience to our students,” said David Elrod, director of the Dalton State Foundation. “Giving to Dalton State on Giving Day allows everyone to come together and show our support for the college. We hope to see our alumni, employees and friends in the community support the college, and by extension, the future of our community.”

Giving Day allows donors who share interests to support a special project together.

“People are encouraged to give to one of our special projects, or to any area of the college they love most,” Elrod said. “Giving Day can make each of these projects a reality. All of our Giving Day projects were conceived with the thought of, ‘How does this benefit our students?’”

Projects include:

  • Spence Higgins Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund, with a goal of $25,000. Higgins was Dalton State’s first elected student body president and a member of the first class in 1967. The scholarship supports the development of student leaders on campus.
  • Roadrunner Student Emergency Fund, with an unlimited goal. Many students’ personal finances have suffered from the loss of a job or work hours because of the pandemic. A little financial assistance can make a big difference in helping a student stay enrolled.
  • Wright School of Business Technology Fund, with a goal of $5,000. The pandemic means more learning is happening via digital means. These upgrades will ensure business students are workplace ready upon graduation.
  • Pete Gunn Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund, with a goal of $25,000. The foundation is working with the Gunn family to endow this scholarship in his memory. Gunn was an Air Force veteran and the former chief of the Whitfield County Fire Department from 1977 to 1982.
  • School of Education Virtual Teaching and Coaching Experiences, with a goal of $5,000. Virtual learning has become an important part of the students’ experience since the pandemic. This will allow teacher candidates to hone their hands-on teaching skills through virtual teaching and coaching.
  • School of Health Professions Technology Fund, with a goal of $5,000. This upgrade will give healthcare students experience with updated software, instrumentation and equipment to ensure they are prepared for the latest technology used in clinicals and in the field after graduation.
  • School of Arts and Sciences Biopsychology Lab, with a goal of $5,000. This lab will create cross-disciplinary research experiences for biology and psychology students and make them better prepared for employment or graduate school.
  • Athletic Scholarship Fund, with an unlimited goal. Dalton State’s sports teams have won four national championships and 39 conference championships. The teams have produced 53 Academic All-Americans and 41 sports All-Americans. These scholarships will continue to give hard-working students opportunities to participate in athletics while working toward their degrees.
  • Society ’63 Alumni Association, with an unlimited goal. The newly formed alumni association, named for the year Dalton State was chartered, is open to all former students. These funds will develop networking and career opportunities to continue supporting Roadrunners after they leave Dalton State.

“Giving Day is more about participation than anything else,” Elrod said. “We welcome gifts in any amount. Even small gifts go a long way when everyone is working toward the same goal.”