Tuesday is iGot day in Statesboro – a big day for Ogeechee Technical College and the communities it serves.
      The annual iGot campaign is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Ogeechee Tech Foundation. Volunteers from OTC’s three-county service delivery area (Bulloch, Screven and Evans counties) will converge inside the Conference Center on the OTC campus for an inspirational breakfast and then head out to visit with businesses and individuals.
      The 2011 campaign theme is “Power the Purpose,” which references the college’s “Education with Purpose” theme. 
      “Ogeechee Tech provides education with purpose, and supporting the Foundation campaign will supply the power needed to provide purposeful education,” said Beth Mathews, OTC’s vice president for College Advancement.  “Education with Purpose is not just a marketing slogan—it is what we do here at OTC every day.”  
      According to Mathews, the OTC Foundation annually supports up to 40 scholarships, provides emergency funds for students in need, supports the college’s lending library, purchases instructional equipment and provides staff development for employees. 
      “We really try to maximize the funds with which we are entrusted to have as great an impact on our students as possible,” Mathews said. 
     Doug Lambert, president of the Ogeechee Technical College Foundation Board of Directors, said that the benefit received by students is felt throughout the community. 
      “The very students who are helped by the Foundation may be the students who graduate and take care of us when we need an ambulance or fire truck, or maybe when we go to the doctor’s office, auto repair shop, or veterinary office,” he said. “In other words, these students are often the people we depend on to make our lives better. Giving to iGot is not only a way we can improve the students’ lives, but the lives of our own families as well.”
      The iGot campaign actually got an early start on the OTC campus on Tuesday when the internal campaign, supported by employees, kicked off.  A committee of college employees is working to encourage faculty and staff of OTC to do their part in supporting the fundraising campaign. 
      “We always have a great response from our employees, and we expect to have the same enthusiasm for supporting iGot this year,” said Dr. Dawn Cartee, OTC president. 
      “We realize the economy is still challenging for most people, but that means our students are feeling just as many challenges,” Mathews said. “It is more important than ever for our Foundation to be able to help these students. We have been getting our message out to many of the local civic clubs in hopes of generating interest in supporting the campaign. Our volunteers will fan out across Bulloch, Evans, and Screven Counties to solicit this critical support.”
      Anyone interested in contributing to this year’s iGot campaign who is asked to call Mathews at (912) 688-6016. 
      “We certainly welcome any support, and even if someone misses getting a donor card, they can still help out by calling us,” Mathews said.