Dr. Ski, HACC’s president and CEO, biked from Cincinnati, Ohio to Owen Sound, Ontario along the Underground Railroad Bike Tour in July 2023 to raise money for HACC’s Fund for Inclusive Excellence.

Dr. Ski said, “The trek mirrors the journey enslaved Africans traveled seeking freedom. Unlike the fear and secrecy surrounding the path of enslaved Africans, however, due to my privilege, I will ride openly during daylight hours.”

HACC is committed to being on the front line when it comes to implementing programs and procedures that ensure the college is an open and accepting space for everyone. With support from our selfless donors, every HACC student will continue to be welcomed.

From June 21-Aug. 8, 2021, Dr. Ski, HACC’s president and CEO, biked over 650 miles to raise funds to support HACC students through HACC’s Fund for Excellence for CARE (Consultation, Advocacy, Referrals and Empowerment) and show gratitude to HACC’s high school partners.

Dr. Ski visited 55 of the public high schools throughout HACC’s 11-county service region; met with high school superintendents, HACC alumni, business leaders, legislators; and raised $9,500 for HACC’s Fund for Excellence for CARE. This fund helps students overcome hardships (such as food and housing insecurities and financial crises) and allows them to complete their education.

These services can make all the difference between students completing their HACC education and deciding not to continue their studies. Their successes improve the quality of life for themselves, their families and our community.

To view images and updates from Dr. Ski’s campaign, please use #Biking4HACC on social media.

From Dec. 17-31, 2020, Matthew Staub and Sarah Hyser-Staub showed #CARE4HACC by leading a crowdfunding campaign in support of students at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College.

Many HACC students face hardships such as food insecurity, housing insecurity and financial crises. Helping students to overcome barriers outside the classroom allows them to focus on their studies and complete their education. Their success improves the quality of life for themselves, their families and our community.

Matthew and Sarah raised $2,475.35 for the HACC Foundation’s Fund for Excellence for CARE. The monies raised had an immediate, direct, positive and long-term impact on HACC students.

From Feb. 23-March 7, 2020, Louise Hyder-Darlington swam at the Memphremagog Winter Swimming Society Challenge in Newport, Vermont.

Louise raised $341.03 through her crowdfunding campaign to support HACC students so that they can continue to show up every day and do their best.

The funds raised went toward the Bruce E. Cooper Student Center Renovation Fund. HACC students look to the Cooper Student Center as a community gathering space that enriches their academic experience, provides social offerings and extends the College atmosphere beyond the walls of the classroom.

From June 30 to July 5, 2019, Dr. Ski biked through South Dakota’s Black Hills and Badlands starting from Pierre, SD to raise funds for the Bruce E. Cooper Student Center at HACC’s Harrisburg Campus.

Dr. Ski’s supporters raised $5,020.51 for the Cooper Center, which provides critical services to learners collegewide such as counseling, military and veteran resources and disability services. These services can make the difference between a learner completing their education or dropping out.

From April 8-April 12, 2019, Tim DeFoor, HACC Foundation Board chair, raised money to support HACC students! On April 9, Tim camped out for 24 hours on the roof of a 50-foot building and climbed down using a 79-foot ladder.

Tim raised $1,004 through his crowdfunding campaign to support the heart of the Harrisburg Campus – the Bruce E. Cooper Student Center. HACC students look to the Bruce E. Cooper Student Center as a community gathering space that enriches their academic experience, provides social offerings and extends the College atmosphere beyond the walls of the classroom.  

For more information about the Bruce E. Cooper Student Center, please visit the Bruce E. Cooper Renovation webpage.

For more information about scholarships at HACC, please visit the scholarships webpage.

In celebration of his 70th birthday on June 20, 2018, Ron Rebuck, director of nursing at HACC’s Harrisburg Campus, led a crowdfunding campaign to support the Nursing Fund for Excellence.

The Nursing Fund for Excellence will ensure that the Nursing Program stays on the cutting edge with the most innovative programs and technology to allow nursing students to pursue their dreams of obtaining an Associate in Science (AS) in Nursing.

Ron raised $2,905 through this crowdfunding campaign to support HACC’s Nursing Fund for Excellence.

For more about HACC’s funds for excellence, please visit the funds for excellence webpage

• Fund for Excellence for Dental Programs
• Fund for Excellence for Developmental Education
• Fund for Excellence for STEM
• Fund for Excellence for Teacher Preparation
• Fund for Excellence for the Benjamin Olewine III Center for the Study of Culinary Arts and Food Service Management
• Fund for Excellence for Virtual Learning
• Fund for Excellence for Workforce Development
• Fund for Excellence in Healthcare
• Fund for Inclusive Excellence
• Global Education Fund for Excellence
• The English as a Second Language (ESL) Fund for Excellence

HACC employees are committed to serving our current and future students by providing an innovative educational experience that will prepare them for a successful career. That is why 11 of HACC’s most passionate employees represented a particular fund for excellence and “competed” to see who could raise the most money for their selected fund.

The leaders of the crowdfunding competition raised $13,917! The winning fund of the campaign was the Fund for Excellence in Healthcare, which brought in $3,866. This money will help keep HACC’s educational programs on the cutting edge of innovation.

For more information about the funds for excellence, please visit the funds for excellence webpage.

Our College leadership, faculty and staff are passionate about helping HACC students reach their educational goals. A group of six HACC colleagues ran the extra (202) miles to show their support for HACC students AND raise money for the Collegewide Student Success Fund for Excellence by completing the Ragnar Relay from Lancaster to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania from June 15-16, 2018. The HACC Yeah! team experienced first-hand the challenge of completing a 202-mile road race, running through the day and night for HACC students. We are #HACCproud.

For more about #RUN4HACC, please visit our event album.

On Aug. 1, 2017, Louise, a cataloging specialist at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, and her team, Channeling Greatness, completed a six-person English Channel relay swim in 14 hours and 20 minutes! Louise and her team experienced first-hand the challenge of completing the “Mount Everest” of open water swims. In fact, fewer people have swum across the English Channel than have climbed Mount Everest!

Like Louise’s epic swim, college is a challenge that requires physical and mental endurance, stamina and strength along with institutional and social support. Fortunately, like Louise, HACC students are always surrounded by “safety boats,” and our donors help to keep these safety boats afloat. 

Louise raised $2,113 through this crowdfunding campaign to support HACC’s student emergency assistance funds. (pdf)

In August 2018, Louise will swim the English Channel solo. Stay tuned for more about that adventure!

For more about Louise’s adventure, visit our English Channel Playlist.

If you follow Dr. Ski on Facebook and Twitter (@HACCSki), you will see that he is passionate about helping HACC students reach their educational goals. In addition, he is quite passionate about the sport of cycling.

How do these two passions relate?

Each year, Dr. Ski takes one week to ride by himself and reflect upon the successes from the previous academic year and plan for the next academic year. From May 26 to June 2, 2017, Dr. Ski cycled more than 600 miles from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Nashville, Tennessee, in an effort to raise funds in support of HACC students through the College’s student emergency assistance funds. (pdf)

Through this crowdfunding campaign, Dr. Ski raised $4,450 to empower HACC students who face financial emergencies to achieve their educational goals by helping to cover a portion of an unexpected expense related to a crisis.

For more about the Tour de Dr. Ski, please visit our event album.

HACC alumna, Nikki Grissinger, loves HACC because her educational experience prepared her to succeed in her dream career. As a nurse, she is doing what she loves – helping others. While she did not receive emergency assistance funds from HACC, she knows what a difference help from someone who cares can make.

Nikki raised $675 to support HACC’s student emergency assistance funds (pdf) during the 2017 Day of Giving.