Posing for a group picture on the UNC-TV campus are, from left, in front: VGCC staff member Norma Pulley, student Jennifer Conway of Stem, staff member Kelly Barker, student Rachel Gamble of Raleigh, staff member Gabrielle Norfleet, student Rachel Pottern of Wake Forest, staff member Susan Boos, student Ruthie Davis of Warrenton, Kristi Rowland, staff member Tonya Waddle and student Helen Samuel of Oxford; from left, in back: staff member Christan Melvin, instructor Maureen Walters, staff member Dan Bender, Cindy Snipes of Oxford, student Kathryn Thompson of Oxford, staff member Lori Forsythe, Granville Early College High School student Gary Williams, student Evelyn Davis of Warrenton and staff member Trudy Hargrove. Among those who participated but were not pictured were students Brooke Darnell of Youngsville, Diane Power of Oxford, Katina Harris of Warrenton and Melissa Hodges of Louisburg; VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams, staff members Andrew Beal, Claudette Dickerson, Jasmine Hightower, Gene Purvis, Jean Blaine, Jennie Davis, Claire Edwards (with her daughter, Lisa), Sharon Williams and Sylvia Jones; and instructor Marian Dillahunt-Andrews. (VGCC photo)
Vance-Granville Community College recently sent a group of 36 volunteers to Research Triangle Park to continue the college’s tradition of helping UNC-TV with the public broadcasting network’s on-air “Festival 2012” fundraiser. This was the eighth consecutive year that the college participated in the Festival, and the volunteer group was among VGCC’s largest ever. Students, faculty and staff members traveled to the UNC-TV studio on March 24 and manned the phones for several hours, all the while proudly wearing VGCC Vanguards apparel. Volunteers helped UNC-TV exceed its stated fundraising goal of $2 million.
One of the volunteers, VGCC President Stelfanie Williams, was interviewed on-air during the fundraiser by UNC-TV personality Theresa Dalton. “We have a good mix of faculty, staff and students here today, including representatives of many of our student organizations,” Williams told Dalton. “We take the word ‘community’ in our name very seriously, and we are happy to be a part of this festival. We feel that this is an important contribution for us as a college to make to the community.”
UNC-TV personality Theresa Dalton (center) interviews VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams live on the air during the fundraiser, while other VGCC volunteers (seated, left) take calls from public television supporters. (VGCC photo)
VGCC Director of Student Activities and Athletics Jasmine Hightower, who coordinated the group, thanked the volunteers and held a drawing in which several won door prizes, including a variety of gift cards. Also, VGCC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two-year colleges, won a pizza party for its members, because the organization sent more students than any other club. Other VGCC student groups that had representatives among the volunteers included the Phi Beta Lambda business student society, the National Student Nurses’ Association, and the Social Sciences Club.