Chadron State Foundation celebrates fundraising success

The Foundation on Friday, Oct. 22, announced that it would be receiving a $500,000 gift toward the Vision 2011 campaign from a private donor who wishes to remain anonymous. Vision 2011 is the fundraising campaign that will boost the college’s capital, endowments and annual fund. One year remains in the campaign, which was publicly launched in October 2009. The Foundation announced Friday that more than $10 million has been raised toward the $11 million goal of Vision 2011.

“Even though we can’t publicly recognize this donor, we can’t say enough how much this gift means to this project and to the students who will benefit from it,” said Connie Rasmussen, executive director of the Foundation.

The Foundation, which hosted meetings of its board of trustees and its National Campaign Leadership Council this weekend, also conducted an open house Friday to recognize a monumental gift from a retired faculty member and his wife. Dr. Jackson and Peggy Hammitt of Rapid City, S.D., have established a future bequest of approximately $1 million for the benefit of the college’s music program.

The Hammitts announced in 2006 that they would be leaving a large gift to the college, but had not publicly revealed an amount until last week. They also recently donated $35,000 toward the restoration of the college’s 1919 Steinway Model D grand piano, which is expected to be finished in time for a concert to commemorate the college's centennial next fall.

Foundation volunteers also are nearing the end of their annual fall campaign. The effort, which involves teams of college employees and other community members raising money throughout the community, will wrap up Friday, Oct. 29.