SECC shatters goal sets new fundraising record
From a sun-soaked September day in downtown Indy all the way to the frosty doorstep of another long Indiana winter, state of Indiana employees worked to set a new fundraising milestone that, in turn, would help benefit untold millions of Hoosier residents in need.
The final tally of the 2019- 20 Indiana State Employees’ Community Campaign (SECC) eclipsed the record-setting goal of $1.6 million, but getting there took initiative, creativity, and most of all, togetherness.
Together we served
Themed “Together We Serve,” the latest campaign relied more than ever on state employees uniting for a common goal. And it appeared from the outset that this year’s charity program would be something special.
The popular Statehouse Market on Robert D. Orr Plaza in Indianapolis set the stage with introductions of nine chairpersons and representatives of more than three dozen charities supported by the SECC. At the Sept. 26 SECC Kickoff, employees stood in lines to knock agency leaders into dunk tanks or to smear whipped creamcovered pies in the faces of some volunteers willing to get a little messy – for a good cause.
One of the 2019-20 SECC fundraising events was a three-on-three basketball tournament at the residence of Gov. Holcomb. The Oct. 18 contest was won by the Indiana Department of Transportation. In this photo, INDOT’s Ryan Abbott shoots from long range as Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Nick Staller defends in the championship game.
The very next day, representatives of 25 agencies boarded paddle boats on the White River Canal for Paddle Battle XIV, the first of a series of signature SECC events. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) narrowly outpaced the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC), Office of Gov. Holcomb, and the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) in the final heat of that annual competition, claiming the coveted Paddle Battle Oar (and a year’s worth of bragging rights).
Having kick-started the new campaign, it was up to nine agency leaders to keep the momentum going – and they certainly didn’t disappoint.
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) held a successful silent auction and a well-attended corn hole tournament that was followed closely by INDOT’s delicious pancake breakfast. INDOT, just as they had in the Paddle Battle, eventually met up with a squad of IDEM workers in the finals of the Indiana State Department of Health’s 3-on-3 basketball tournament held Oct. 18 at the residence of Gov. Holcomb.
The INDOT crew proved victorious in the b-ball tourney thanks to a game-winning three-point shot from team captain Ryan Abbott, section head of INDOT’s Econometrics and Forecasting. Just as there was little doubt for Abbott, an avid basketball player with college and amateur league experience on the court, as his final shot sailed through the net and clinched the tournament for his team, the sheer creativity behind the 2019-20 SECC events made it seem as though breaking last year’s new all-time record was never in doubt.
Showcase showdown
The Indiana Office of Technology organized a “takeover” of in.gov that, through more than $1,400 in donations, added some Boilermaker flare to the website for the first two weeks of December. Purdue University took the top spot by receiving the most online votes from donors. Proceeds benefited the Tyler Trent Cancer Research Endowment. Trent, who died in January 2019 after an inspiring battle with bone cancer, was a Purdue University student.
One of the most creative endeavors belonged to IDEM, whose staff created a haunted house-style attraction occupied by props and employees acting out a fictional chemical outbreak scenario that straddled the line between horrific and hilarious. Employees clearly had fun playing their roles and were “all-in” on the Halloween-themed program they called their “HAZMAT House of Horrors.”
On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, the Family and Social Services Administration’s downloadable “Gratitude Grams” helped spread plenty of cheer in the lead-up to the holidays. For a small donation, employees could print out a handful of happy notes they could give to anyone they felt deserved them.
The Indiana Office of Technology (IOT) won a tug of war tournament organized by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles in November.
Soon after, BMV showed off some spirited state employee competition with a tug of war tournament – the day after a snowfall no less – that saw IOT (literally) pull out an impressive victory. Meanwhile food trucks gathered on Robert D. Orr Plaza and helped boost BMV’s drive to raise funds for homeless veterans. The cold kept no one away.
With the finish line coming into view, the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) sponsored a riotous Lip Sync Battle that unearthed some iconic ‘80s and ‘90s tunes. The Indiana Department of Revenue (calling themselves “The Tax Street Boys”) put on quite a show with a medley of hits from Britney Spears, NSYNC, and The Backstreet Boys. They were challenged by the Indiana Public Retirement System’s (INPRS) Nirvana homage and eventual winner the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI). DFI’s performance of Donna Summer’s “She Works Hard for the Money” included props, costumes, and a slideshow of real DFI employees hard at work.
The second Indiana SECC Lip Sync Battle saw last year’s defending champs, the Indiana Department of Revenue, square off against the Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS) and the Department of Financial Institutions.
The Indiana Department of Correction carried the program through the Thanksgiving break en route to a very special surprise: the extension of the SECC by two extra weeks. First Dog Henry Holcomb, likely the only schnauzer to head up a charitable campaign, and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch helmed the final days of the program as the record-setting goal was met and then surpassed.
Actions speak louder
Cancer research, child abuse prevention, assisting people with disabilities, feeding the hungry, helping the homeless, showing gratitude, providing clean water, helping adopted children and their families, and providing assistance to people who work in the continually demanding field of corrections were some of the matters SECC contributions were intended to address in 2019-20.
Again facilitated by the United Way, the SECC allowed state employees to pledge a predetermined portion of their earnings to be deducted per pay period or make a one-time donation. Many of the signature events held throughout the state accepted cash that was factored into the overall tally.
Smaller events such as bake sales, chili cook-offs, auctions, and breakfasts occasionally collected funds for specific charities, allowing donations to be made beyond the nine 501 c 3 nonprofits featured via the first nine chairpersons.
Some of the smaller-scale events were among those that seemed to come straight out of left field. During IOT’s week for example, employee Jeff Lahr taught a painting class while channeling the beloved late painter Bob Ross, and the IURC put together a scary movie series and even held a Taekwondo board- breaking event.
In many ways, the 2019-20 SECC came to resemble its tagline: “together we serve.” It took the hard work and creativity of more than 33,000 employees in every corner of the state to make it happen, but this year’s SECC proved that state employees do indeed serve better, when we serve together.
Story by Brent Brown, INSPD