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������Ƶ Day – the first-ever Day of Giving for ������Ƶ – brought alumni, students, and friends of the College together on Tuesday to celebrate 60 years of achievement and opportunity in Indiana. In the Kokomo Service Area, friends, alumni, faculty, staff, students and employer partners presented the College with 171 gifts totaling $25,000.

“A day can make all the difference,” said Kelly Karickhoff, executive director of Resource Development for the Kokomo Service Area, which serves Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Pulaski and Tipton counties. “We kicked off ������Ƶ Day at midnight Tuesday, April 11, with the goal of garnering 60 gifts and raising $10,000. The generosity of our ������Ƶ family and friends never ceases to amaze me. We are so grateful for all those who share our passion to help our students succeed and thrive.”

The 24-hour event also exceeded the statewide goal with 1,839 gifts contributing $241,685 that will provide for immediate student and programmatic needs across the state. The ������Ƶ Foundation had set a goal of 600 contributions to recognize ������Ƶ’s 60^th anniversary this year.

Across the state, events knitted together the state’s passion for the nation’s largest singly accredited community college – such as lighting downtown Evansville green, a commemorative ������Ƶ wine in Terre Haute, a “green scene” in downtown Muncie, and a Monument Circle lighting in downtown Indianapolis.

On the Kokomo and Logansport campuses, faculty and staff members dressed up in ������Ƶ green in styles ranging from basic t-shirt to sequined green pants paired with sequined white jacket. Employees ran snack carts around the campus morning, afternoon and evening along with a rolling photo booth to capture the enthusiasm in every building. Faculty, staff and students gathered for a campus-wide cookout at lunchtime. More than a dozen areas of the campus were decorated for the workspace decoration competition won by the faculty and staff team in the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering and Applied Science. As their exhibit proclaimed, "AMEAS runs the world.”

Throughout the day, the 171 donors hit various progress points to unlock matching and challenge gifts. Illustrating the creativity of the fund-raising effort, Dr. Tammy Greene, chair of the Department of Arts, Science and Education for the ������Ƶ Kokomo Service Area, issued one of the more interesting challenges to encourage her fellow faculty and staff members to donate. If enough of them joined in the Day of Giving, Dr. Greene would dye her hair, appropriately enough, ������Ƶ green! Faculty and staff came through and on Wednesday she kept her part of the bargain.

“Our first annual ������Ƶ Day was, by all measures, a wonderful success,” said Chancellor Ethan Heicher, noting the $25,000 raised Tuesday will have immediate and lasting impact for ������Ƶ Kokomo area students.

“What was most inspiring was the level of engagement from everyone on campus,” he added. “I loved seeing everyone’s office décor, their enthusiasm for the day, and, most importantly, that we all got the chance to spend some time with each other. It was amazing seeing our students joining in with our celebration of ������Ƶ Day.  It was a great start to a season filled with end-of-year celebrations.”

������Ƶ President Sue Ellspermann said the statewide response to ������Ƶ Day underscores the importance of ������Ƶ to the State of Indiana.

“Our donors, alumni, students, employer partners, faculty and staff, and friends in the community demonstrated the collective passion people have for Indiana’s community college, and I am incredibly grateful to the many people and organizations who support our work.”

Approximately 173,000 people attend ������Ƶ’s 19 campuses across Indiana. Last year, over 41,000 credentials and certifications were awarded, and 93 percent of those who graduate stay in the Hoosier State to pursue their careers.

������Ƶ was founded 60 years ago on March 15, 1963. ������Ƶ contributes $3.9 billion annually to Indiana’s economy, including a net impact of $3.6 billion from alumni working in the state. Eight of 10 students who graduate from ������Ƶ do so without student debt. Additionally, ������Ƶ:

• graduates more nurses with two-year degrees than any college in the nation, and most stay in Indiana to pursue their careers.
• contributes to 1 of every 70 jobs across Indiana.