For the past several months, Virginia Tech employees have donated generously to charities across Virginia through the 2019 Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC).

CVC is an annual workplace giving campaign where state employees raise and donate money to one or more of approximately 1,000 participating charities in their communities and across the commonwealth. Charities range from health and human services to animal welfare, from environmental conservation to medical research, and everything in between. There is a charity for everyone.

Some senior management areas have been particularly creative in how they raised money and encouraged employees to donate.

Virginia Tech’s Office of Capital Assets and Financial Management had one of the cutest ways to raise money. They hosted a cutest pet contest where employees paid $3 to enter the cutest picture of their pets. Participants paid $1 to vote in the contest.

The Division of Human Resources did four fundraisers for CVC. Employees had two opportunities this fall to donate money to wear jeans to work for a week, they hosted a pumpkin decorating competition around Halloween, and in November they held a soups and stews event where employees donated $5 to enjoy hot soups and stews for lunch.

“We raised $606 for the pumpkins and $370 for the first jeans. We thought that was pretty good,” said Dawn Camacho, the steering team representative for Human Resources. “We’ve done jeans and soups for many years. The pumpkin contest is something new that we tried around Halloween to be creative during fall.”

Not to be left out, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke is only in its second year of CVC, but already passed its fundraising goal thanks to creative “FUNdraisers.” They gathered donated items to give to charity and hosted a pumpkin carving competition and bake sale.

Pamela Adams, a steering team representative, said making CVC exciting and engaging for employees is one of the best ways to raise money.

“There needs to be some kind of constant activity to keep employees motivated. Having ‘FUNdraisers’ also gives employees an opportunity to contribute when they are not comfortable making a monthly commitment, hence something for everyone,” said Adams. “In my experience, people want to help, and if you tell them what you need, they will come through.”

Other fun activities in senior management areas across campus included a well-attended cornhole tournament in the Virginia Tech Controller’s Office, a spirited Halloween costume contest in the Division of Information Technology, and a drawing for Panera breakfast in Virginia Tech Athletics.

This year’s campaign runs until today, Dec. 13, and has a goal of $390,000. Since 2010, Virginia Tech employees have donated more than $2.8 million to local charities in the New River Valley and across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

No donation is too small. Even a $5 donation can make a difference in someone’s life. Employees can donate through an online payroll deduction, choosing either a one-time deduction or a 24-pay period deduction. Donations should be made through the CVC website. Cash and checks are also acceptable. Pledge cards are available for those who do not have online access.

CVC is administered by the Division of Human Resources and led by a steering team made up of university department representatives. Questions or assistance should be directed to department representatives. More information can be found on the CVC website.

- Written by Ariadne Manikas, Class of 2020

Share this story