For Giving Tuesday, Alpena Community College is happy to announce a partnership with Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union. Donors can stop in the Besser Technical Center Lobby at ACC from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday to make a donation, chat with ACC Foundation staff, see the new nursing patient simulator, enjoy snacks, and more. Student volunteers will also accept drive-thru donations in the Besser Tech driveway. AAACU will match every donation received for Giving Tuesday 2019, up to $10,000, and will also be accepting donations at all of their branches.

Online donations can be made at https://discover.alpenacc.edu/donate.php. This event will wrap up the Healthy Futures Start Here Campaign.

“This project will directly or indirectly touch every member of our community,” said ACC Foundation Executive Director Brenda Herman. “We’re asking everyone in our community to make a donation in any amount to support not only Alpena Community College, but specifically the students being trained as nurses who will care for us when we need them the most.”

All donations received will go toward the renovations to Van Lare Hall, with donors being recognized on a donor recognition wall when the project is complete. Everyone who donates at any location or online will be entered into a drawing for prizes throughout the day, as well as a grand prize drawing at the end of the day.

Herman is grateful for the support of AAACU and feels confident that this partnership will help the Foundation in meeting their fundraising goal.

LeAnn Schultz, director of marketing for AAACU, was eager to get involved with the Healthy Futures Start Here Campaign.

“We are so very fortunate to have a community college right here in Alpena,” she said. “Partnering with ACC for Giving Tuesday just seemed like the perfect fit.”

ACC’s $8.7 million renovation project includes the repurposing of 60-year old Van Lare Hall. The nursing programs will be moved into Van Lare Hall from the Charles R. Donnelly Natural Resources Center, creating a Center for Health Sciences.

A $1 million state-of-the-art simulation learning lab will better prepare nursing students for real world experiences, while a newly constructed community gathering space overlooking the Thunder Bay River will provide a warm environment for small group gatherings. Additionally, improvements will be made to Van Lare Hall’s windows, HVAC and electrical systems, and the building’s exterior.