2010 Laurinburg Area Campaign for St. Andrews begins

Laurinburg, N.C. – The 2010 Laurinburg Area Campaign for St. Andrews Presbyterian College began with a luncheon March 10 in the Carol Grotnes Belk Main Room of the William Henry Belk College Center.

“Attending a fundraising meal is very comfortable for me,” said co-chair Hew Fulton. “I remember soon after (wife and co-chair) Martha and I moved back to Laurinburg, Martha’s mother Mary Franklin (McNair McCoy) invited us over for lunch. After the meal, I thanked her for the wonderful meal and she said to me, ‘I’m glad you enjoyed the meal. Now, if you will just write out a $250 check to St. Andrews.’”

This family level commitment is deep on both sides as both families were instrumental in getting St. Andrews to Laurinburg. Dr. Samuel Hewitt Fulton, Sr., Hew’s grandfather, was the minister of Laurinburg Presbyterian Church during the time the college was established. In addition to Mary Franklin’s fundraising meals with family, Martha’s aunt, Ina McNair Avinger is still remembered on the campus through Avinger Auditorium. Over the generations, several family members have served as members of the Board of Trustees.

“Work on fundraising for St. Andrews began more than 50 years ago in Laurinburg,” said College President Paul Baldasare. “With that continued community support critically important, it is fitting the historical statement it makes to have Martha McCoy Fulton and Hew Fulton working as our co-chairs this year. I am delighted not only by the energy and enthusiasm they bring, but the longstanding commitment they represent from the community.”

While the event marked the start of the public campaign, a silent phase has already collected nearly $190,000.

“We welcome the chance to participate in this tangible support of St. Andrews,” said Martha. She then referenced a concept from the book The Art of Possibility called “Give Them an A.” “It shares that at the beginning of something, those in a position to assess our progress give an A. In a sense, St. Andrews has already given us an A. That is not to say our job is done. It is to say that we have reassurance that what we set out to do will be successful. It gives us the courage to step outside ourselves. We will be building connections that strengthen us all.”

Hew agrees, “We are committed to do our part to enhance the St. Andrews mission going forward.”

St. Andrews is one of the top five employers in Scotland County. The college attracts more than 15,000 visitors annually to the county for a variety of events, including open houses for potential students, the Scottish Heritage Symposium, theatrical productions, equestrian shows and athletic events.

The campaign runs through May 31, 2010. To make a gift to the Laurinburg Area Campaign, call 910-277-5661 or go to https://www.sapc.edu/giving/.

Fultons named as 2010 Laurinburg Area Campaign Chairs

Laurinburg, N.C. – St. Andrews Presbyterian College is pleased to name Hew and Martha Fulton as the chairs for the 2010 Laurinburg Area Campaign.

“St. Andrews represents a community of people with deep local roots, faculty and staff who come to make a difference in the lives of young people and the young people who bring such energy and enthusiasm,” said Hew Fulton. “That combination enhances all aspects of the community.”

The Fultons represent a family tradition of deep local roots committed to the St. Andrews mission. Both families worked to bring St. Andrews to Laurinburg in the late 1950s and Martha’s great aunt put the first book in the library.

“Our families have long believed having a college like St. Andrews enhances the community,” said Martha. “We have been blessed to know many students over the years and they have enhanced our lives.”

Hew and Martha Fulton follow the successful chairmanship of the Laurinburg Area Campaign by Emily and Andy Womble, which has met or exceeded a campaign goal of $500,000 annually over the past 14 years of a concentrated area campaign.

“Year in and year out, we are blessed with wonderful leadership for this campaign and this year continues that tradition,” said College President Paul Baldasare. “We are honored that the Fultons are willing to take this position of leadership for our 2010 Laurinburg Area Campaign.”

The silent phase of the fundraising campaign has begun, and an official kickoff event will take place in early March.

The campaign runs through May 31, 2010. For more information or to make a donation, call 910-277-5661 or visit the secure giving page at https://www.sapc.edu/giving.

2009 Laurinburg Area Campaign for St. Andrews surpasses goal

Goal: $500,000
Total: $509,603

Laurinburg, N.C. – Despite a tough economic climate, the Laurinburg Area Campaign to support St. Andrews Presbyterian College surpassed the $500,000 goal for the 14th consecutive year.

“We reached $509,603,” said College President Paul Baldasare. “We deeply appreciate the support this community shows for St. Andrews. We are also grateful for the leadership given this year by our campaign co-chairs, Emily and Andy Womble.

“Their efforts were absolutely remarkable given the state of the economy.”

The Wombles helped bring 360 donors – including 35 new ones – into the campaign.

“Andy and I would like to thank all of the contributors for recognizing how much St. Andrews means to our community,” Emily Womble said. “For us, achieving the goal confirms once again that we live in a caring community of people who continue, even in tough times, to rise to the occasion for a good cause.”

Baldasare added, “I’ve been in fundraising for a long time and it’s really interesting when I go to meetings of my counterparts and we discuss how much money they raise in their communities. They are shocked at the level of giving we have in this community. I think we have a lot to be proud about.”

St. Andrews is one of the top five employers in Scotland County with an annual budget of $16 million. The college attracts more than 15,000 visitors annually to the county for various events such as open houses for potential students, the Scottish Heritage Symposium, equestrian shows and athletic events.

“We are grateful to the community for once again supporting St. Andrews at such a high level,” said Meredith Bounds, Laurinburg Area Campaign director. “We are really pleased with the leadership Andy and Emily provided. Their dedication to this campaign and the college made a difference as we closed in on our goal.”

2009 Laurinburg Area Campaign Co-Chairs Emily and Andy Womble.

2008 Laurinburg Area Campaign

Goal: $500,000
Total: $510,960

Number of Donors Increased As
Laurinburg Area Campaign Surpasses 2008 Goal

“It’s not the queen bees but the worker bees who make a campaign successful,” said Jim McQueen, co-chair along with Linda McQueen for the 2008 Laurinburg Area Campaign to benefit St. Andrews Presbyterian College. “Not only did we reach our goal of $500,000, but we also had a total of 414 donors – a 23 percent increase from the previous year.”

His comments came during Thursday’s celebration to mark the end of the successful campaign. The event was hosted by St. Andrews by Lake Ansley C. Moore at the Belk Center.

“Our total is $510,960,” said McQueen. “That’s 102 percent of our goal and I don’t know about St. Andrews, but if you make 102 on a test, you make an A plus for the test!”

He credited the campaign’s team captains and team members for reaching more donors this year. This marks the 13th consecutive year the campaign has exceeded its goal of a half million dollars.

The Laurinburg Area Campaign is a key component in supporting St. Andrews annually. In return, St. Andrews is one of the top five employers in Scotland County with an annual budget of $16 million. The college attracts more than 15,000 visitors annually to the county for various events such as open houses for potential students, Scottish Heritage Symposium, equestrian shows, and athletic events.

“The McQueens have provided extraordinary leadership on the college’s behalf,” said Paul Baldasare, president of the college. “It’s incredibly moving when you go with Jim and Linda to a civic club and watch their presentation. Jim will say there are three things most important to him in this community – his family, his church, and St. Andrews.

“When I first met with the McQueens, we talked about three goals. They wanted first of all to meet the financial goal and then they wanted to expand the number of volunteers. Their third goal was to have a broad measure of support from the community.

“I am happy to report that all three of these goals were met. I am grateful to Jim and Linda for their efforts.”

Baldasare also expressed thanks to others in the community who work cooperatively in raising money for other worthy causes such as Scotland Memorial Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, Hospice, and others.

“I’ve been in fundraising for a long time and it’s really interesting when I go to meetings of my counterparts and how much money they raise in their communities,” said Baldasare. “They are shocked about the level of giving we have in this community. I think we have a lot to be proud about.

Jim McQueen shares the statistics of the successful 2008 Laurinburg Area Campaign that he co-chaired with his wife Linda.

Read more about the campaign here.

2007-2008 Campaign kickoff

Learn how the contributions to the Laurinburg Area Campaign influenced the life of a recent graduate.