Team 'Together'
Auto dealer Gary Rome partnering again on "Together HCC" campaign
NOTE: Although this year's day is done, it's not too late to give. To make a donation, go to hcc.edu/drive
Auto dealer Gary Rome is again partnering with the HCC Foundation for a one-day campaign to raise money for student support programs and academic resources at Holyoke Community College.
The third annual "Together HCC: The Drive to Change Lives" campaign is set for Tuesday, April 25, and will run a full 24 hours, from 12:01 a.m. to midnight.
Donations can be made through a secure portal on the HCC website: hcc.edu/drive
The goal of the campaign is to raise money for five areas that directly support HCC students: academic excellence and innovation; scholarships; the Thrive Student Resource Center and Food Pantry; the President's Student Emergency Fund; and the HCC Foundation's general, unrestricted fund.
Rome, owner of Gary Rome Hyundai in Holyoke and Gary Rome Kia in Enfield, Conn., has pledged a challenge donation of $5,000 once 500 people like, comment, or share Gary Rome Hyundai's Facebook post announcing a giveaway for Red Sox vs. Yankees tickets.
"I am happy to be partnering with HCC for a third consecutive year because I am so passionate about making sure a college education is accessible to everyone," said Rome, a member of the HCC Foundation Board of Directors. "'Together HCC: The Drive to Change Lives' is one day where we really can make a difference."
Additionally, alum Peg Wendlandt '58 and her husband Gary will supplement each gift from new donors with a $250 donation of their own up to $100,000. Altogether, the one-day campaign has the potential to unlock more than $140,000 in matching donations.
"With multiple challenge gifts in place, every donation has the potential to be doubled, or even tripled, said Julie Phillips, interim director of institutional advancement. "For our alumni and friends, there is no better time to make their gift."
The HCC Foundation launched "Together HCC: A Campaign for Caring" in March 2020 to build community support and raise money for students experiencing financial distress during the pandemic. As part of that campaign, members of the HCC community - students, staff, faculty, alumni, relatives and college friends - were asked to use the hashtag #TogetherHCC to share stories and images on social media that demonstrated the resilience of the college community in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
In its first year, the campaign raised $40,000 for the President's Student Emergency Fund and was selected as a finalist for a national Bellwether award. The following year, with Rome signed on, HCC added the "Drive to Change Lives" theme and raised more than $122,000 for student support programs. Last year, HCC raised $192,000 during its day of giving.
"We believe that all students deserve access to a great education," said Phillips. "On April 25, donations will not only help remove barriers to student success like hunger, homelessness, and housing insecurity, but will instill a sense of pride in our students and faculty by showing them how much we believe in them."
PHOTO; Auto dealer Gary Rome visits the college radio station last year in advance of the "Together HCC: Drive to Change Lives" fundraising campaijn. Next to him is HCC student-DJ Gabriel Guzman.
