Ivy Tech Kokomo raises $13.9 million
Also, Senior Fair hits Foster Park Nov. 2; Paul receives Hoosier Hospitality Award
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Ivy Tech Community College’s Kokomo Service Area is crediting the generosity of its hundreds of donors with the success of its five-year Invest IN Ivy Tech campaign. The campaign raised $13.9 million to benefit Ivy Tech students and communities in the six counties in the Kokomo Service Area – Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Pulaski, and Tipton.
Invest IN Ivy Tech was the first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign undertaken by the College statewide. The Ivy Tech Foundation raised a total of $340 million, 19 percent over its $285 million goal.
The recent announcement of the campaign’s success conclusion came during the 60th anniversary of the founding of Ivy Tech. The funds are designated for student scholarships and related support, workforce development, infrastructure, and next-generation programs for those attending one of the College’s 19 campuses.
The Kokomo Service Area kicked off its part of the initiative with the very successful #THETIMEISNOW capital campaign that garnered more than $3.5 million in donations from more than 250 donors to complete the $43 million transformation of the Kokomo Campus. Invest IN Ivy Tech continued from there, far exceeding the original goal of $8.6 million.
“It is hard to find words to adequately thank the many volunteers and donors who worked so hard and were so generous over the last five years,” said Dr. Ethan Heicher, chancellor of the Kokomo Service Area.
“With the excitement generated by the new Kokomo Campus, our donors saw the impact their gifts could have on the future of Ivy Tech, its students, and the broader community,” Heicher continued. “Many donors made two or three significant gifts during this period, and we are so grateful for their trust in our stewardship of their resources.”
Donors to the campaign included alumni who have benefitted from their Ivy Tech education, community partners who embrace the value Ivy Tech delivers to their area, and faculty and staff who believe in the mission and vision of the College, along with grants from public and private sources.
“Along with the generous support of the Indiana General Assembly, thousands of individuals and organizations, our alumni, and our communities have collectively ensured we have the resources to make Ivy Tech the best community college possible,” Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann said.
Each campus identified its goal based on its unique campus priorities under four primary areas of impact. In the Kokomo Service Area, 40 percent of the money raised is designated for student scholarships and barrier-busting initiatives like aid in emergencies; 28 percent for workforce development, including the Industry 4.0 Laboratory, Nursing education expansion, and Ivy + Career Link; 21 percent for infrastructure, including the Kokomo Campus transformation; and 11 percent to meet needs of future students through new endowments and planned giving.
Detailed results from the Invest IN Ivy Tech campaign can be found here: https://give.ivytech.edu/campaignreport .
Kelly Karickhoff, executive director of Resource Development for the Kokomo Service Area, expressed appreciation for Karen McLean, public affairs manager for NIPSCO (Northern Indiana Public Service Company), for serving as chair of both #THETIMEISNOW and Invest IN Indiana campaigns. She also extended thanks to Scott Maple, of Kokomo’s Maple Farms, an adjunct faculty member and long-time supporter, for his service on the statewide campaign’s advisory board.
“We live in communities that include so many generous donors,” Karickhoff noted, “but their commitment to the mission and goals of Ivy Tech and our students still humbles and amazes me. All of us at Ivy Tech will continue to work hard to ensure our donors are proud of their investment in our students and our mission.”
Senior Fair hits Foster Park Nov. 2
Silver Birch Living of Kokomo is joining other community organizations to host a Senior Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, at the City of Kokomo’s Senior Citizens Center, 721 W. Superior St.
The community is invited to attend this free event to explore senior care services in the city and learn more about what resources are available to support seniors. Organizations attending the senior fair include, but are not limited to:
1st Care Home Health Services
Aperion Care
City of Kokomo
Compassus
Five Star Residents of Northwoods
Southern Care Hospice Services
Trilogy Health Services LLC
Patty Thatcher, marketing director for Silver Birch Living of Kokomo, said the assisted living community hosted this event before the pandemic, and it was time to bring it back to showcase the robust services offered in Kokomo.
“The Senior Fair is a great opportunity to learn what's available in Kokomo and find fellowship with other people. It’s surprising how many people are unaware of the support offered for our increasingly aging population,” she said.
By 2030, one out of every five people living in Indiana will be a senior citizen, according to population projections released by the Indiana Business Research Center. This projected increase represents an unprecedented number of elderly in the state.
With demand increasing, Thatcher said Silver Birch Living is uniquely positioned to serve low-income residents.
As one of the few assisted living facilities in the state of Indiana that accepts Medicaid, the community helps older adults in need of supportive housing. Residents have access to an experienced staff of dedicated professionals and a robust host of amenities such as wellness programming and transportation services.
Designed for those 55 and older, the four-story assisted living community features both studio and one-bedroom apartments.
Opened in 2018, Silver Birch Living of Kokomo is designed to serve seniors of all financial backgrounds. Silver Birch offers a full spectrum of personalized services to help older adults maintain their independence in a supportive, caring environment.
Visitors are encouraged to attend this free event and those with questions are asked to reach out to Marketing Director Patty Thatcher at kokomosales@silverbirchliving.com or call 765-639-1664. There will also be light refreshments and giveaways for those who attend.
To learn more about Silver Birch Living of Kokomo, visit the website at www.silverbirchliving.com.
Paul receives Hoosier Hospitality Award
It has been a great week for Howard County Memorial Corporation President Jerry Paul. Last week, his organization received a $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Howard County to support HCMC’s Opha May Johnson Memorial and Tuskegee Airmen traveling exhibition projects.
Paul also was a recipient of the “Hoosier Hospitality Award” from Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC) and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch at an awards ceremony held at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. This award is in recognition of his tireless work in the Howard County community, building monuments that attract visitors from all over the world.
Paul has been the driving force and principal designer of several monuments in Howard County, including the Howard County Veterans Gold Star/Blue Star Family Memorial, Women’s Legacy Memorial, and the upcoming Opha May Johnson Memorial, dedicated to America’s first female Marine, which is slated to be built in downtown Kokomo. Paul was one of 15 recipients of the award in the state of Indiana.