Ivy Tech Kokomo's scholarship fund drive doubles goal

Feb. 26—Though the COVID-19 pandemic recently sidelined Ivy Tech Kokomo's annual event to fund student scholarships, school officials say donors still stepped up in grand fashion.

To date, the community has already given nearly $50,000, more than double Ivy Tech's initial goal, a recent media release noted.

"Every year, we plan a Celebration for Student Success scholarship event to bring together our friends and supporters to raise funds for scholarships," Kelly Karickhoff, executive director of Resource Development for Ivy Tech's Kokomo Service Area, noted in the release. "With everything going on in 2020, we could not safely bring people together so we pivoted to a 'non-event.'

"We never would have predicted the generous response we have experienced from our request for scholarship support," she added. "People understood that in this global pandemic, students need support more than ever."

Due to the challenges facing the campus during the pandemic, the campaign team initially set a $20,000 goal, the release noted, and it was quickly eclipsed when Peru philanthropist Rita Jackson provided a $10,000 gift designated for matching opportunities.

When that was matched, an anonymous Howard County couple then provided another $5,000 match.

And as of Wednesday, Ivy Tech Kokomo had $48,520 in its 2020 Scholarships for Student Success Campaign, the release indicated, with officials hoping to reach $50,000 by the time the campaign closes at the end of March.

"Our students continue to have great need, especially during this time," Karickhoff said in part in the release. "Scholarship gifts make a tremendous impact. Each gift, no matter the size, makes a difference and helps students on their journey to a better future."

Donations to Ivy Tech's scholarships campaign can be directed to impact.ivytech.edu/scholarshipsforstudentsuccess or by contacting Kelly Karickhoff at 765-252-5501 or kkarickhoff@ivytech.edu.