Chattahoochee Tech Foundation Raises $68K At Reverse Raffle Event

ACWORTH, GA —The Chattahoochee Tech Foundation held its annual Reverse Raffle fundraiser on Oct. 21 at the college's North Metro Campus, raising $68,000 to help Chattahoochee Technical College students in need.

Jennifer Nelson, vice president of advancement at Chattahoochee Tech, said the money raised will go toward academic scholarships, emergency grants and textbooks.

"Thanks to the community's generous support through this event, we're able to help students have the funding they need to finish school and enter the workforce," Nelson said. "Helping students stay enrolled through graduation is more important than ever as the workforce needs our graduates."

According to the leaders of the Chattahoochee Tech Foundation, in the fiscal year 2021, the foundation awarded $110,000 in scholarships and issued more than $39,000 in emergency grant funds to help students who were in danger of not continuing their education due to unexpected financial hardships.

The foundation also provided more than $36,000 for mobile hotspots, textbooks, bus passes, temporary housing and other emergency expenses to students served by the Office of Student Resources.

The 2021 Reverse Raffle event featured a Roaring '20s theme. There was entertainment by emcee Louis Tonsmeire, a silent auction and items donated by local businesses and members of the community.

"It was a fun evening, and everyone at this sold-out event really enjoyed having the opportunity to support a great cause," Nelson said. "We look forward to hosting this event again next year."

Of course, the highlight of the event was the Reverse Raffle, and this year's $5,000 grand prize was split between the final five ticket holders. They were: Charlie Fulcher, of Jasper, Riley Layton, of Universal Alloy Corporation, Natalia Meneses, a Chattahoochee Tech instructor, Katie Pearson, of Northside Hospital Cherokee, and WellStar Health System, the latter agreeing to donate its $1,000 in winnings back to the Chattahoochee Tech Foundation.

The event marked the Reverse Raffle's return to campus after it was held virtually in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Sponsorships for this year's event could be bought at the Platinum ($3,500), Gold ($2,500) and Silver ($1,500) levels. This year's Platinum sponsors were: Advantage Office Solutions, Gay Construction, McCarthy Construction, Reliable Heating & Air, Universal Alloy Company and Win-Tech, Inc.