Tuesday is iGot Day for Ogeechee Technical College. “I Gave to Ogeechee Tech” – iGot – is the annual fundraiser for the Ogeechee Tech Foundation, Inc.
      The community-wide blitz is Tuesday, according to Foundation president Rachel Edwards.  The campaign utilizes hundreds of community volunteers and employees of Ogeechee Tech to canvas the communities of Bulloch, Evans and Screven Counties seeking support for the Foundation.

   OTC’s Foundation provides scholarships, emergency funds for student needs, equipment purchases, staff development, and other vital elements of support for Ogeechee tech that are not funded through the college’s state budget appropriation. 
      “The support we are able to give Ogeechee Tech is dependent upon the support we receive from our community volunteers and the various donors who make gifts to the Foundation,” Edwards said. “The students depend on the Foundation, and the Foundation depends on the great people in Bulloch, Evans and Screven Counties.”
      Health Science programs represent a substantial portion of Ogeechee Tech’s program offerings, said Beth Mathews, OTC’s vice president for Institutional Advancement, who coordinates the Foundation’s activities. 

  “From the hospital, to doctor’s offices, to the Emergency Medical Service, there are OTC graduates serving in nearly every facet of healthcare,” Mathews said. 
      Bob Bigley, CEO of East Georgia Regional Medical Center, supported Mathews’ take on OTC’s medical related program graduates. 
      “We not only benefit from having a wealth of well-trained graduates to meet the needs of our hospital, we also work directly with OTC students while they are still attending the College,” Bigley said. 
      Dr. Dawn Cartee, president of Ogeechee Tech, said the college’s relationship with the medical center is similar to its relationship with many community partners.
      “We have such a great relationship with East Georgia Regional Medical Center, and many other organizations and businesses,” Cartee said. “They help us by providing essential clinical experiences for our students, and we provide them with qualified employees,” Cartee said.
      Mathews expressed the sentiment of many of Ogeechee Tech’s students by stating this year’s campaign slogan, “Make tomorrow possible.” 
      According to Mathews, for many students the very opportunity to remain in school and to achieve the goals that will lead to a better job and a better life depend on the support of the Foundation. 
       “We know that times are tough right now, but we hope those who can give will do so with the full knowledge that they are helping ensure a better quality of life, not only for our students, but for the donor’s own family,” Edwards said.  For information on iGot or to make a contribution, call (912) 688-6061, or visit www.ogeecheetech.edu.