Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

KANNAPOLIS — The Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation has exceeded its first ever multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign, raising a total of $8,087,387.

The “Building a More Prosperous Community Major Gifts Campaign,” with a total goal of raising $7.1 million, is centered on four key initiatives that address specific needs for the college, including a new advanced technology center, health care education, an outdoor learning and amphitheater space and STEAM scholarships for students pursuing science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

In addition, the foundation’s $7.1 million goal includes funds for two projects related to solar energy and an expansion of the world-class fire and emergency services training facility.

“As we celebrate the successful completion of the first-ever major gifts campaign in Rowan-Cabarrus Community College history, we thank all of you who supported us in the Building a More Prosperous Community Major Gifts Campaign,” said college President Carol S. Spalding. “Your support has helped reimagine, revitalize and recharge our campuses and has helped pave the way for many students’ lives to be transformed on our campuses.”

Over the past three years, the college brought together community leaders and industry representatives to determine our community’s most pressing needs.

“The college must seek private dollars to meet our goals,” said William Cannon Jr., a Cabarrus County resident and president of the Cannon Foundation. Cannon also served as co-chairman of the college’s campaign along with community leaders from both counties. “We want to invest in new programs and modern technology, ultimately training students on real world equipment so they are ready for employment upon graduation.”

The Building a More Prosperous Community major gifts campaign marked a new chapter for the Rowan-Cabarrus Foundation and is the first ambitious fundraising campaign in the more than 50-year history of the college.

“We asked for support — not for things that the college needs, but what we believe the community needs,” said Edward Norvell, Rowan County resident, attorney and co-chairman of the campaign.

The campaign completed having raised 114 percent of the $7.1 million goal.

“The success of this campaign is an enormous showing of generosity and faith in Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and the impact we have on our region,” said Carl M. Short, chairman of the college’s board of trustees. “The Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation resources support the mission of the college and are channeled into scholarships and other student assistance, support for academic programming and capital projects, and other needs of the college and the local community.”

Local voters supported two bond issues to support the college during this campaign — one in Cabarrus County to support the Advanced Technology Center and a statewide bond package that included the college.

“This campaign has taken an incredible amount of volunteer time and resources, and we are so grateful to our campaign core team who stepped up as leaders in this effort. These past and present members of the college’s board of trustees and foundation board of directors were ambitious and dedicated to the major gifts campaign,” said Spalding.

The campaign core team included Co-Chairman Edward Norvell and Bill Cannon and members Tony Almeida, Paul Brown, Darise Caldwell, Diane Honeycutt, Pat Horton, Cyndie Mynatt, Irvin Newberry, Carl Short, Dakeita Vanderburg-Johnson and William Wagoner.

The campaign’s lead donors laid the foundation for the success.

Fred and Alice Stanback gave the largest gift that the Rowan-Cabarrus Foundation has ever received from an individual to support the North Campus Solar Project. The Cannon Charitable Interests were also key supporters.

“Our institution is forever better because of your commitment to excellence,” said Pat Horton, who chairs the Rowan-Cabarrus Foundation’s board of directors.

Part of the campaign’s success included a $300,000 challenge grant from the Leon Levine Foundation for the support of health care education.

The Leon Levine Foundation offered $300,000 to the college’s foundation for health care education if the health care education gifts within the campaign reached $1.2 million by May 31, 2016. The Rowan-Cabarrus Foundation exceeded its $1.2 million goal with the support of numerous community members and organizations like Novant Health and the Rowan County commissioners.

The college used the completion of the campaign as an opportunity to award a scholarship in honor of all the donors.

Geddie Monroe, who received the scholarship, is a leader in the college’s art club, a co-designer of the college’s piano for the downtown Salisbury “Tickle Our Ivories” project, and a volunteer and lead aesthetic designer for the setup of the 2017 spring exhibition for student artwork at Clearwater Gallery.

Monroe was the first in his family to finish high school and said he is attending Rowan-Cabarrus to become a scholar, succeed with a career in the fine arts and even help others like himself along their path.

“I truly believe that Rowan-Cabarrus is my way forward,” said Monroe.

For more information about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, visit www.rccc.edu or call 704-216-7222.