High School Seniors have the Opportunity to Support Local Nonprofits

Seniors at Alleghany High School, Covington High School, and Boys Home of Virginia are being given an opportunity to support their community through the High School Seniors Giving program.

High School Seniors Giving is part of Give Local Alleghany Highlands, an event hosted by The Alleghany Foundation and the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism.  Set for Tuesday, June 7, 2022, the 24-hour fundraiser will benefit nonprofits that serve the residents of Alleghany County and the City of Covington.

Mary Fant Donnan, executive director of The Alleghany Foundation, met with Alleghany High School seniors on Tuesday, April 12, to explain how each of them can designate $50 from the foundation to benefit a local nonprofit organization. Ms. Donnan will meet with Covington High School seniors in May.

“The High School Seniors Giving Program is an exciting way to recognize the important milestone for our high school graduates and offers a chance to learn more about the important work of organizations that serve this area,” said Ms. Donnan. “Foundation board members are very excited to be bringing this program back for a second year, and I want to encourage all high school seniors to participate,” she added. 

Participation in High School Seniors Giving is at no cost to the students. On May 16, seniors at AHS, CHS and those enrolled at Boys Home of Virginia will be offered a survey with a list of nonprofits participating in the Give Local Alleghany Highlands campaign. The seniors will be asked to select one organization from the list. In turn, The Alleghany Foundation will send $50 to a nonprofit for every vote it receives. The students will have until June 7 — the day of Give Local Alleghany Highlands — to complete the survey. High school seniors who reside in the Alleghany Highlands but do not attend AHS, CHS, or Boys Home of Virginia, may be qualified to participate and should contact Daniel Grizzard at danielg@alleghanyfoundation.org.

In the first year of Give Local Alleghany Highlands, $180,326 was raised for the participating nonprofit organizations. Of that total, $4,850 came from the votes of 97 seniors who supported 20 different nonprofit organizations.

“This program is a wonderful way to honor our graduates while helping them learn about worthwhile organizations in our area.  We hope it inspires their lifelong interest in the good work being done in the Alleghany Highlands,” said Covington City Public Schools Superintendent Melinda Snead-Johnson and Alleghany County Public Schools Superintendent Kim Halterman in a joint statement.

If students are unsure of which nonprofit organization to choose, they can visit the “Participants” page on GiveLocalAH.org and read about the programs and services offered by all nonprofits participating in Give Local Alleghany Highlands.

For more information on how to participate in Give Local Alleghany Highlands, visit GiveLocalAH.org, email Daniel Grizzard at danielg@alleghanyfoundation.org, or call The Alleghany Foundation office at (540) 962-0970. 

Give Local Alleghany Highlands registration for nonprofits is open until May 13.  Community members are invited to join by participating in Give Local Alleghany Highlands on June 7.

About The Alleghany Foundation: Founded in 1995 following the sale of the Alleghany Regional Hospital, The Alleghany Foundation seeks to be a catalyst for positive change in the Alleghany Highlands. The Foundation aims to focus its capital in a way that leads to a more civically engaged and prosperous community that builds upon its assets to produce opportunities for all residents.