Fifty-five young men taking part in the MODELS Academy program at Piedmont Technical College (PTC) will attend a University of South Carolina football game in Columbia this week, thanks to a generous donation from Lonza.
MODELS Academy is an award-winning program that works to improve success rates of African American males in grades four through 12. MODELS is an acronym that stands for Men of Distinction becoming Elite Leaders and community Servants.
Lonza recently donated $10,000 to the PTC Foundation. The Swiss multinational manufacturing company for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and nutrition sectors has had a presence in Greenwood since 1967. Its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant across from the PTC Greenwood campus has around 700 employees.
About $7,500 of Lonza’s donation will be spent on chartering a bus and buying tickets to the game between the Gamecocks and the University of Missouri on Saturday, Nov. 16. The donation will also pay for food and snacks for the 55 MODELS Academy participants going to the game. Four Lonza employees will accompany them.
“We are grateful for Lonza’s donation,” said PTC President Dr. Hope E. Rivers. “Attending this game is more than a fun outing for these young men – it is an inspiring opportunity for them to see the college experience firsthand. This experience will help MODELS participants picture themselves on a college campus, motivating them to make the decision to pursue higher education after high school.”
The remaining $2,500 from the Lonza donation will be set aside to help with any needs that PTC may have for its students.
Anna Marie McCarty, who is director of site engineering and projects at the local Lonza facility, said her company is “pleased to be able provide this financial support to Piedmont Technical College as a sign of our longstanding commitment to the Greenwood community.”
“MODELS Academy is an outstanding program, and we hope these young men enjoy the game,” McCarty said.
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About Piedmont Technical College:
Piedmont Technical College (PTC) is a comprehensive two-year college offering hands-on training in the latest technologies and exacting skill sets that are most sought after by employers in our region. PTC contributes to the economic growth and development of the largest and most diverse region of the South Carolina Technical College System, Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry and Saluda counties. Throughout the region, PTC serves over 8,000 students annually.
