The final figures are in: TTI employees raised $23,459.05 for the 2012 State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC). In fact, just two weeks into the campaign, TTI surpassed its goal of $16,900, supplying critical funding to local organizations in our communities. The campaign began September 1 and ended October 31.
“When I heard the news, I kept thinking that this was a mistake,” Chair Becca Simons said. “But it was true. Employees really stepped up this year.”
Simons credits two things that pushed TTI over the top. The first was an early email to employees that showed that the fundraising goal “divided by TTI’s 638 employees equates to $26.49 per year or $2.20 per month.” In that same email, Agency Director Dennis Christiansen urged employees to make sure the goal was exceeded this year.
TTI held various fundraisers for SECC — including the sale of football tickets, an auction and a Texas Roadhouse lunch. An El Paso interoffice pie sale also contributed to the overall tally. Helping make the fundraisers a success were Colleen Dau, Kerry Fillip, Helen Olivarez and Shannon Turner.
The SECC began through legislation in 1993, and raised $9.3 million in 2011. The Texas campaign is one of the largest state employee campaigns in the nation. System wide, this year’s goal of $520,000 was exceeded by $46,000.