READING, PA – On Thursday, November 10, the Berks Regional Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professions (AFP) honored The Foundation for Reading Area Community College (RACC) as its Outstanding Foundation at the annual AFP Berks Regional Chapter Awards Breakfast held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Reading.

Gary Moyer, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Foundation for RACC says, “We are honored to be recognized for our dedication to RACC students. The year 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of the college and the foundation celebrated the historic significance of this milestone with an incredible year of philanthropic success for the benefit of the students of the college.” 

Key Foundation initiatives included a comprehensive partnership with Helping Harvest, which led to the establishment of the Ravens’ Food Pantry on campus for students experiencing food insecurity. Another initiative is the Student Emergency Assistance Fund, which helps students pay for rent, electric bills, transportation, phone bills and other emergent needs; to allow the student to remain in college and complete their education. The Foundation for RACC also secured a grant from Truist to sponsor an event at Boscov’s Department Store, which provided professional clothing for graduating students.

“RACC has 8500 students. Last year we distributed over a million dollars through over 700 scholarships to students. Scholarships are the essence of what we are about as a foundation. Despite our successes, the best is still ahead for us,” says Tony DeMarco, RACC VP for college advancement & executive director of the Foundation for RACC.

DeMarco and the Foundation also managed and organized the sold out RACC 50th Anniversary Gala with over 800 attendees that raised $1.3 million dollars and featured the co-founder of Apple Computer, Steve Wozniak. RACC’s 50th is widely regarded as one of the finest non-profit events in Berks County history.

The Foundation manages over 120 scholarship opportunities, many of which are for first generation or lower-income students, high school students who matriculate to RACC from a Berks County high school, or students in the college’s workforce training programs. In 2021, the Foundation distributed over $1M in scholarship support to RACC students.

To learn more about the Foundation for RACC, call 610.607.6239.