Volunteers for Hope College will visit area businesses to raise funds for the college during Hope's annual Holland/Zeeland Community Campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
Volunteers for Hope College will visit area businesses to raise funds for the college during Hope's annual Holland/Zeeland Community Campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
The campaign is part of an annual effort by business people in Holland and Zeeland to raise funds for current operations.
This year's chair is Ted Etheridge, chief executive officer of Steketee-Van Huis Inc. Etheridge is a 1972 Hope graduate whose wife and two daughters are also alumni, but beyond his personal ties to the college he sees strong reasons as a member of the business community to support Hope.
"I think Hope over the years has embraced and supported the business community as well as or better than any of the other colleges in the area," he said.
He noted that Hope's emphasis on values serves area employers well, especially since many of the college's graduates take positions in West Michigan. Approximately 3,400 Hope alumni live in the greater Holland-Zeeland area.
"Hope drives in core values like hard work, and perseverance and most of all integrity in what you do," Etheridge said.
"The return from supporting the college is that it's putting leaders back into the community," he said. "What better return on your investment?"
The campaign will begin with a breakfast Wednesday morning at the college's Maas Center. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., approximately 40 fund-raising teams comprised of business leaders paired with members of the Hope faculty and staff will contact about 140 area businesses.