Georgia Natural Gas® TrueBlue Schools™ Program Tops $550,000 in Donations to Georgia Schools

/PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Natural Gas® (GNG), Georgia's leading natural gas provider, announced today that it has donated more than $550,000 to Georgia schools as a result of its successful TrueBlue Schools™ fundraising program. GNG plans to donate $2 million to Georgia schools through the program.

Now in its third year, TrueBlue Schools™ was created by GNG to help support schools throughout Georgia. When a consumer becomes a customer of GNG and elects to participate in the program, a $5 donation is made to the school of his or her choice every month. TrueBlue dollars are being used to pay for books, art supplies, music programs, field trips, sports equipment, playgrounds, scholarships, classroom technology – anything a school needs. Currently, 857 of the 2,326 schools in the GNG service area earn TrueBlue Schools™ donations.

"True Blue Schools™ is a great way for GNG to show its support for Georgia schools, and we are particularly proud of the $550,000 this innovative program already has provided to schools," said GNG CEO Mike Braswell. "The best part is the program's simplicity – just sign up with GNG, and we send checks to your school every quarter."

With this program, a school doesn't have to commit to a time-consuming fundraising project. There are no order forms, no inventory to manage and no monies to collect. All public and private elementary, middle and high schools in GNG's service area are included in the program, and any natural gas consumer who chooses GNG can participate. The more people who sign up with GNG and select a school, the more money the school receives. Once participants sign up at TrueBlueSchools.com, donations are automatic to the school. Current GNG customers also are eligible to participate.

"We are excited about what the success of this program in just two years means for our schools," said Braswell. "Making a difference in children's lives is one of our key community goals. That's why we are committed to raising $2 million through TrueBlue Schools™ to support education in Georgia."

To join TrueBlue Schools™ or learn more about the program, visit TrueBlueSchools.com or contact GNG by e-mail at support@trueblueschools.com.

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Emory's Oxford College, Candler School of Theology Receive $4.25 Million in Gifts from Oxford College Alumnus' Estate

Oxford College of Emory University and Emory's Candler School of Theology have received gifts totaling more than $4.25 million from the Charles Edwin Suber Foundation.

Oxford College received a $3.35 million gift, the largest cash gift in the college's history, and Candler School of Theology received a gift of $903,177. Both gifts were unrestricted to be used for the most pressing needs of the schools.

The Suber Foundation was established by the estate of Charles Edwin "Ed" Suber. A 1942 graduate of Oxford College who passed away in November 2007, Suber attended Emory University and was retired from the Fulton County Superior Court system as court clerk.

A portion of the Oxford College gift, $100,000, will be used to establish a scholarship in Suber's name. The remaining $3.25 million will be used to support Oxford's building program, including a new science facility, which would replace the current facility built in 1965, and a new library, replacing the current 1970 building.

Stephen H. Bowen, dean of Oxford College, says, "We have needed a major gift to create momentum in raising funds for these building projects. This is that gift. When we look back after 10 years, we will recognize this as a pivotal moment in the development of Oxford College."

Candler School of Theology Dean Jan Love says she will assess where the gift can best be applied in light of funding needs for the second phase of Candler's building projects, as well as student support and faculty enhancement.

"The generosity of this lifelong United Methodist layman is overwhelming and will benefit the Candler community for generations to come. We are deeply grateful for this remarkable gift," Love says.

Suber was a lifelong resident of Atlanta's Ben Hill community, where his family owned and operated the C.P. Suber Grocery Store. He served in the Army during World War II.

Jim Campbell, executor of Suber's estate, says his first cousin was an ordinary man who has left an extraordinary legacy.

"Ed indicated a direction through the gifts he made through his will, and we followed through with that direction," says Campbell, who chose Oxford College and Candler School of Theology to receive gifts from Suber's estate. "He was very kind and he had a great sense of humor. He loved to travel and square dance. He lived a very simple life, but he was very generous to those people and causes he cared about. He was a great person, and his life will go on even if he is not here."

These gifts are part of Campaign Emory, a $1.6 billion fund-raising endeavor that combines private support and the university’s people, places and programs to make a powerful contribution to the world. Investments through Campaign Emory fuel efforts to address fundamental challenges: improving health, gaining ground in science and technology, resolving conflict, harnessing the power of the arts, and educating the heart and mind.


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Harris Corporation Commits $2 Million to Georgia Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

/PRNewswire/ -- Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS) , an international communications and information technology company, has signed an agreement to make a $2 million donation to the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). The gift, made through the Harris Foundation, will help support a capital campaign for construction of a new ECE headquarters and the renovation of the school's 47-year-old Van Leer Building, where some 7,000 students receive instruction each year.

Harris will donate $500,000 each year for four years beginning in 2010 -- the anticipated completion date of the Georgia Tech Foundation's private fund drive for the new facilities. Specifically, the Harris gift is intended for construction of an auditorium or other similar space. Harris has a decades-long partnership with Georgia Tech and its School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, which is the largest producer of electrical and computer engineers by degree in the nation. The company employs nearly 200 of the school's graduates.

Howard L. Lance, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Harris, and Dr. G.P. "Bud" Peterson, president of Georgia Tech, signed an agreement for the donation during a special ceremony at the Harris Customer Briefing Center in Melbourne, Florida. The event also included a reception attended by Harris employees who are Georgia Tech graduates and by other representatives from the university.

"While it may be tempting for corporations to reduce educational support during challenging economic times, at Harris we believe that this is exactly the right time to invest in our company's future by supporting excellent schools like Georgia Tech, whose graduates have helped make Harris a national and global leader in the communications and information technology sectors," said Lance. "Our investments in education and university partnerships pay dividends many times over."

"Our faculty and students are currently scattered across 10 buildings around the campus, the Van Leer classrooms are outdated, and the building lacks adequate laboratory facilities," said Dr. Gary S. May, professor and Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who attended the check presentation. "Clearly, this generous lead gift from Harris Corporation provides significant momentum for the school's long-term capital needs and helps to create a new presence that will serve us well in the 21st Century."

In addition to the $2 million gift announced today, Harris has donated some $280,000 to the university since 2006. This includes a five-year, $250,000 pledge for a research lab in the Nanotechnology Research Center, and another $30,000 to support various programs within the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

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