Tony and Vi Golding are “golden” for Davie County! The couple has generously agreed to match up to $125,000 in gifts to IGNITE DAVIE made by December 31, 2020; potentially adding a combined total of $250,000 to the IGNITE DAVIE endowment!
IGNITE DAVIE is a College Promise Program that invests in the students of Davie County. It puts education at the center of our community and will ultimately spark the economic vitality of our community!
The endowment is important for ensuring IGNITE DAVIE is available when today’s elementary children reach high school. Earnings from the endowment are pulled away from the investment each year to pay for the tuition and fees of IGNITE DAVIE students. A $3 million goal was set for the IGNITE DAVIE endowment to ensure the College Promise Program can continue long into the future.
Fundraising reached the half-way mark but came to a screeching halt when the pandemic hit. The Golding Challenge will hopefully revive the charitable spirit of the community and encourage everyone to invest in this important program for Davie.
“The Challenge is to encourage our great Davie County community to take part in helping our students to prepare for the future, and I am willing to step forward and lead the way,” said Golding. “This investment is small in comparison to how an education can change the lives and future of our kids. “
“When the students realize that their community cares and stands behind them I’m hoping that it will motivate them to trust us as to how important education will be for them.”
“I am so thankful for the Goldings’ generosity in challenging our community,” said Jane Simpson, president & CEO of the Davie Community Foundation, Inc. “They understand that the opportunity to double your gift is very appealing to many. When doubled, small gifts make a larger difference. Hopefully, our community will respond and we will exceed the match! The beneficiaries will ultimately be Davie children!”
The Golding’s match will create the Tony and Vi Golding Award for hard-working IGNITE DAVIE students who go the extra mile in pursuing their education.
Tony Golding understands the value of hard work. Born and raised on a dairy farm near Mount Airy, his hard work and dedication took him from a clerk at his Dad’s store, “Golding’s Grocery & Service Station,” to the Quality Control Division at R.J. Reynolds, to founder/owner of Golding Farms Foods where he grew the company from one employee and one product to more than ninety employees and more than 400 different products with state of the art automation. He sold the company in 2017 to a private equity group.
Vi also knows the value of hard work and dedication. She worked for Blue Ridge Burke Insurance in Winston Salem as manager and vice president. Later Blue Ridge Burke Insurance was acquired by BB&T Insurance, now Truist. At the time of her retirement, she was Vice President of BB& Insurance call center in Greensboro with 125 employees reporting to her.
Together the couple will establish the Tony and Vi Golding Award for IGNITE DAVIE students who are pursuing their education but need a little extra help. The award for tuition, fees, and books will be made through IGNITE DAVIE but the remaining award dollars will assist students with food, gas, and other necessary expenses.
“Our goal is to help young people who really work hard and want to get a good education but need some help along the way,” said Golding. “If the community meets our challenge, it will provide more opportunities for students in Davie to continue their education without debt.”
Gifts of all sizes are needed to meet the Golding Challenge and secure the match!
Community members can give through the DONATE page on the IGNITE DAVIE website at IGNITEDAVIE.COM. Donations of all sizes may also be made through the IGNITE DAVIE’s Go Fund Me Page, or by check payable to the Davie Community Foundation (holder of the endowment fund) and mailed to IGNITE DAVIE, Attn: Carolyn McManamy, 135 S. Salisbury St., Mocksville, NC 27028.
For more information, visit IGNITEDAVIE.COM or contact Carolyn McManamy at 336-753-6670.
