By Judith L. Rhoads

On Tuesday, October 5, at the Byrnes Auditorium on the Heath Campus, we announced the beginning of our Fulfilling the Promise campaign. It was a special day. Special because we were able to announce an overall goal of 5 million dollars. Special because many of our friends and supporters from the community shared the announcement with us. And special because we were able to announce that we have obtained over 3.7 million dollars in gifts and pledges to date. Yes, we are over threequarters of the way toward meeting our campaign goal! That is a wonderful accomplishment.

Make no mistake--the campaign is all about serving students. There's no better evidence of that than our scholarship endowment. Each year our endowment generates over 20 thousand dollars in interest income that enables us to serve over 160 students who, for whatever reason, need financial assistance to pursue their educational goals. With our campaign we will continue to build this endowment, as well as support other important campaign initiatives like School Counts!, the Glema Center and quality and program endowments which enhance the quality of life in our community.

We are doing many good things at MCC. The campaign is one of those good things. It is proof of our commitment to serving others. Together, we continue to move the college forward. Thank you.