The Chadron State Foundation’s annual Fall Fund Drive is being praised as another big success.
      Foundation development officer and drive coordinator Brandon Davenport says the 3-week active phase with 14 teams of volunteers brought in more than $100,000.
Davenport adds that the total is more impressive than it might seem because it counts on pledges and donations collected by the volunteers.
As for the annual campaign, Davenport says the Fall Fund Drive currently accounts for about 60% of it – a percentage that will drop as unrelated donations and gifts continue to come in. Â
Changes were made to the Fall Drive this year to streamline and reinvigorate it. The number of volunteers was cut from about 120 to 100 and the number of teams from 20 to 14 with 8 from the campus and 6 from the community.
The 8 teams of 67 volunteers representing the CSC campus asked employees to donate to scholarships, programs, and funds of their choice. The 6 Chadron community teams went to organizations, businesses, and individuals in the area.
       The Campaign has always had 2 co-chairs for each group serving staggered 2-year terms, but Davenport says all 4 were new this year.Â
Davenport says Cody Benton of Homestead Bank, Cali Frankovic from Chadron Community Hospital and Health Service, CSC assistant director of Human Resources Kim Hernandez, and Office of Academic Success Director Chantel Merchen brought new excitement to the effort.
Also new this year was a drop-in Student Showcase about midway through the campaign where about a dozen students spoke about their CSC experiences, accomplishments, internships, and research.
They also provided vocal and guitar performances, poetry readings, and a display of their artwork. Davenport says it was well received and will be back next year.
As always, the Fall Fund Drive included a competitive element to motivate volunteers and add a spark of fun.
The winning campus team was led by Public Services Librarian Christine Fullerton and included Sandoz Center Program Coordinator Laure Sinn, Kate Pope, Project Coordinator Kate Pope, Art Professor Laura Bentz, and IT Tech Andrew Smith,
All the members of the winning community team are employees of FNBO. Brenda Morford was the captain with Jennifer Galbraith, Tony Denke, Amy Hawk, and Bobbie Gill theother members.
Captains of the other Campus teams were Kaylee Summers, Christian Miller, Kayla Junge, Britt Helmbrecht, Stacie Mittleider, and Carrie Sayaloune.
The other Community team leaders were Clayton Riesen of Nebraska Bank, Homestead Bank’s Pete Johnson, Bobby Griese with Chadron Community Hospital, Wahlstrom Ford’s Misty Hickstein, and Jason Carnahan of Security First Bank.