Ivy Tech Kokomo to celebrate community impact on Ivy Tech Day, April 8

For the nearly 7,000 students being served by Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area this year, one day can make a difference. 
With the help of community members, alumni, faculty, staff, and donors, Ivy Tech Community College believes Tuesday, April 8 – Ivy Tech Day – will be just such a day.

On April 8, the Ivy Tech Kokomo Service Area will be among the College’s 19 campuses across Indiana that are celebrating Ivy Tech Day, a 24-hour event dedicated to raising funds for student success projects, scholarships, and emergency support. It’s an opportunity for anyone interested to participate and invest in the students shaping the workforce and economy of Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Pulaski and Tipton counties. 

"Ivy Tech Day is a celebration of the students, alumni, and employers we serve," said Dr. Ethan Heicher, chancellor of the Ivy Tech Kokomo Service Area. "Every dollar raised directly impacts our students by providing scholarships, emergency aid, and resources to help them succeed. We are excited to see our communities rally together in support of student success and economic growth in the Kokomo area."

Last year, Ivy Tech Kokomo garnered 268 gifts totaling $41,687, far exceeding the first year’s results of 171 gifts and $25,000 in donations on Ivy Tech Day. This year, the service area has set a goal of raising $45,000 in 24 hours.

How to Participate

Kelly Karickhoff, executive director of Resource Development for the Kokomo Service Area, said supporting Ivy Tech’s Kokomo region is easy. Donations can be made at ivytech.edu/giveday starting at midnight on April 8. Supporters can watch the Kokomo Ivy Tech Community College Facebook page for giving opportunities throughout the day and visit local community partners participating in support of this very impactful day. 
“All proceeds support student success in the Kokomo Service Area,” Karickhoff added. “Your gifts stay local and help students who live and work in your community.”
Among those who have already pledged their support, Security Federal Savings Bank will provide snack and beverage stations for students and employees on the Logansport and Kokomo campuses. Community Howard Regional Health will provide lunch at the Kokomo campus and La Fiesta Restaurant will provide lunch at the Logansport campus. Coca-Cola Bottling Company Kokomo will provide all the drinks for the day and The Page Brothers, a musical group whose members are all Ivy Tech graduates, will be the lunch time entertainment at the Kokomo Campus.

Larison Media is serving as Ivy Tech Day social media promotion partner and Ivy Tech alumna Nikki Nordman, owner of Pizza Quik in Peru, will donate 10 percent of the net receipts on food purchased at the restaurants from 5 to 8 p.m. on April 8.

This year Community First Bank of Indiana is supporting Ivy Tech Kokomo students by promoting Ivy Tech Day through its “Banking on You for 200 Gifts Challenge”.

“Community First Bank of Indiana is proud to support Ivy Tech students! When 200 gifts have been received, we’ll unlock $2,000 from each Kokomo bank branch for a total of $6,000 for students’ success,” said Robb Blume of Community First Bank. “This gift, an investment in Ivy Tech students and the communities they’ll shape, is being made in memory of the late Bill Hingst, longtime bank board chair and Ivy Tech donor, whose legacy of giving back continues to inspire.”

In honor of Ivy Tech Day, the College is inviting members of the community to wear green to indicate their support. “Many generous donations will make a difference,” Karickhoff said. “‘One Day Can Mean Everything’ for the success of Ivy Tech students.”

Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president, Ivy Tech Community College, said, “Ivy Tech has been woven into the fabric of Indiana for more than 60 years, and nearly a million Hoosiers have completed degrees, courses and credentials supporting successful careers and upward mobility while improving the prosperity of our state.

“If you’ve been treated at an Indiana hospital, driven a car assembled in Indiana, or have a young person who graduated high school with dual credit, you’ve likely benefitted from Ivy Tech. Ivy Tech Day is an opportunity for all Hoosiers to help us deliver ‘Higher Education at the Speed of Life’ and meet our students’ most pressing needs,” Ellspermann added.

Ivy Tech contributes nearly $4 billion annually to Indiana’s economy, with more than 80 percent of graduates remaining in the state. In 2023-24, the College awarded more than 46,000 credentials—nearly half of all postsecondary credentials in Indiana.