Heather Adams
Published: October 12, 2005
The Pensacola Junior College Foundation is a non-profit corporation that was established back in 1965, about 17 years after the college first opened to students. The purpose of the foundation is to help raise funds for the college and for scholarships.
The foundation was started by a group of businessmen that included Crawford Rainwater Sr., the first president of the PJC foundation. These businessmen asked individuals and local businesses to help support the college financially.
Today, the foundation still does everything it can to help raise money for the college. It raises money to pay for program enhancements, college expansion, and general expenses of operation for the college.
“The foundation really plays a pivotal role in the development of the college, because so many of the resources that are used for students and teachers to really excel and innovate and thrive come from donations,” Kenda Hilleke, of college development and alumni affairs at the PJC Foundation, said.
The Foundation promotes both special fundraising projects and annual giving programs. In 1998, the Foundation raised $5.3 million for its capital campaign, “Building on Tradition- Investing in the Future.” It was from this campaign that the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts was established. Four years later, in 2002, the Universal Scholarship Fund was launched with a visit from Barbara Bush. Eight more scholarships were established for the Universal Scholarship Fund in 2005 during the first Big Break Golf Classic.
The Learning Resources Center is also benefiting from Foundation fund raising by way of the Dr. Lois Zaragoza-Goode Memorial Library Fund. The LRC plans to renovate, and hopefully add a room for students in Dr. Zaragoza-Goode’s memory.
“They are a wonderful group to work with, and I really think they support the people of this campus to the best of their ability,” said Charlotte Sweeney, from LRC Reader Services.
Another program for which the foundation is currently raising money is the Sue Straughn Endowed Scholarship. They have already raised more than $55,000, but with the cost of being a full-time student now a minimum of $1,200 to $1,500 per semester more funds are needed.
“We are always are looking ahead to new opportunities and projects along with our existing focus on raising funds for emerging projects, scholarships, endowments and instructional technology. Working with our Board, our Trustees and Dr. Delaino, we continue to build our annual fund for areas of greatest need,” Patrice Whitten, executive director of the PJC Foundation, said.