2009.05.29
Two from New River participate in Bluefield College phonathon
Two Bluefield College students from the New River Valley recently participated in the school's annual fund drive.
One was Kim Carroll of Pearisburg (that's her in the foreground.
The other was Daniel Schroeder of Blacksburg.
Here's the full release from Bluefield College:
Bluefield College recently completed its spring 2009 Annual Fund Phonathon, and alumni and friends of the college pledged more than $42,000 to the effort -- the highest pledge total in BC Phonathon history.
For three straight weeks this spring, 17 current Bluefield College students, joined by two former BC students, phoned some 4,259 alumni soliciting support for the BC Fund for Scholarships.
More than 5,000 alumni were contacted in an advance Phonathon mailing.
The advance mailer generated $16,256 in gifts from 94 donors, while solicitations from students by phone produced $25,919 in gifts and pledges from 443 donors for a total of $42,175 in gifts and pledges to date.
Proceeds from Phonathon, coordinated annually by BC's Betty Carroll, director of annual giving, go directly to the BC Fund for Scholarships, which is the primary financial resource for institutional financial aid for students. More than 90 percent of BC students depend on financial aid to be able to afford their college experience.
³Last year was a record year for us,² said Carroll, who¹s been a BC fundraiser since 1999. ³It was the highest since I have been here. We¹re thankful to have reached $40,000 this year, because [President David] Olive promised the callers a special treat, if they hit that benchmark.²
The Phonathon also brought out the competitive nature of the student callers. Each was in competition to walk away with prizes each night for the most money solicited and the most new donors. And, while soliciting support from former students was the primary goal, Carroll said the school and its current students benefit in so many other ways.
³One of my favorite parts is getting to interact with current students,² said Carroll. ³They learn so much about the importance of giving to the school, and hopefully realize why we¹ll be calling them year after year after they graduate.²
Post-event calculations indicate that the average gift or pledge to this year's Phonathan was $78 per donor. In addition, of the 537 donors who pledged or gave to date this year, 99, or about 18 percent, were new or first-time givers.
Current Bluefield College students who participated in the Phonathon this spring included Kayla Bales of Princeton, West Virginia; Crystal Barber of Amherst, Virginia; Kim Carroll of Pearisburg, Virginia; Jennifer Cook of Front Royal, Virginia; Katilyn Duggins of Waynesboro, Virginia; Will Hanna of Chesapeake, Virginia; Jorden Herald of Salem, Virginia; Caleigh Keith of Roanoke, Virginia; Andrew McKinney of Elk Creek, Virginia; Renae Meadows of Peterstown, West Virginia; Keenan Rainer of Warrensville Heights, Ohio; Rachel Russo of Ararat, Virginia; Le¹Andra Sabatino of Parksley, Virginia; Daniel Schroeder of Blacksburg, Virginia; Emily Sears of Hinton, West Virginia; Kara Woodward of Bluefield, West Virginia; and Derek Wright of Tazewell, Virginia.
The two alumni who joined the current students in calling were Vickie Blankenship and Bryan Wohlford.
Local businesses joined the effort, as well, donating prizes for the students, which included tickets to Barter Theatre, Dollywood, Emerald Isle, Wolfhart Haus, a DVD player, and a digital camera.
³The alumni really enjoy speaking to the students,² added Carroll.
³They ask what is going on with the college -- the status of the new community center and new dorm -- and what they personally are doing at Bluefield. Some will even tell stories about their experiences when they attended the college. We have wonderful alumni who participate. Their generosity makes Bluefield College¹s Phonathon program a great success.²
