MATCHING FUNDS FROM HARPER CORPORATION
Anilox roll supplier Harper Corporation of America has offered the Phoenix Challenge Foundation a matching funds program of up to $25,000 to help fund the annual International Phoenix Challenge Flexo Skills Competition.
Bettylyn Krafft, Phoenix Challenge Foundation chairman, “We are delighted with the matching funds program presented by Harper. This jump-started our fund raising efforts, and will hopefully leave us with a little left over.
“The average cost per student participating in the 2005 International Phoenix Challenge Flexo Skills Competition was $810, with a record number of 38 students competing,” she continued. “Schools that have never competed before have expressed an interest in the competition, and we may have as many as 50 participants for the 2006 event. This means we will need well over $40,000 just to break even.”
The average student cost includes airfare for students and their instructors, hotel accommodations, meals, awards, scholarships, gifts, an awards banquet and numerous other expenses associated with the competition.
Krafft added, “We operate an all-volunteer organization, and run a tight budget, but it still takes a considerable sum to do it right. With the focus on a productive, comfortable and competitive environment for the student-participants and their instructors, sometimes we cut it very close with our funds. The growing number of young people looking at a career in flexography assures us that the annual competition will continue to grow. And that means more dollars will be required.”
Margaret Harper Kluttz, Harper’s executive vice president, commented, “We are very passionate supporters and strong believers in the Phoenix Challenge. In addition to the matching funds Harper Corporation has put forward this year, all profits from the sale of Ron Harper’s book, 21 Steps to Success and Happiness, are donated to the Phoenix Challenge Foundation’s programs. The foundation reaped over $5,000 from book sales in the first eight weeks it was available, and the brisk book sales have continued.”
The third annual Phoenix Challenge Foundation Fund Raising Luncheon to support the 2006 competition is scheduled for Friday, September 30, 2006, in Charlotte, N.C. Those who cannot attend the luncheon may consider supporting the competition in other ways, such as advertising in this publication. Reasonable advertising rates are available to those wishing to take advantage of the flexographically printed Phoenix Challenge Newspaper, published three times each year by the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Up to 12,000 copies of the special edition newspaper are distributed throughout the industry.
Many thanks to the other major supporters of the Phoenix Challenge Foundation, including Anderson & Vreeland, Avery Dennison, Benton Graphics, Central Piedmont Community College, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Dunwoody College of Technology, Flexographic Technical Association, JetUSA, J.R. Cole, Mark Andy, Rotometrics, Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute and Water Ink Technologies. Other sponsors include APR, BASF, DuPont, Environmental Inks, FlexoExchange, Pamarco, RB COR and Williamson.