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The ASM Materials Education Foundation funds ASM Materials Camps, ASM scholarships, and other worthwhile programs. The administrative expenses of the Foundation are supported through endowment funds, thus, 100 percent of every dollar donated directly supports Foundation programs.
The idea for the pledge drive, called the ASM Twin Tier Challenge, was proposed by Ron Parrington, president of IMR Test Labs Inc. in Lansing, N.Y. "Our goal was to raise greater than $10,000, a significant contribution, by the end of the chapter year in June."To get the ball rolling, Parrington agreed to match pledges from Twin Tier Chapter members. Soon afterward, IMR Test Labs and the Twin Tier Chapter also agreed to match pledges. As a result, every dollar pledged by a chapter member resulted in a $4 donation to the ASM Materials Education Foundation.
Iindividual pledges came fast and furious. The first -- and one of the most generous pledges -- came from past chapter chairman John Drosdak, of Corning, Inc. "When I was initially introduced to the Twin Tier Challenge, it was just natural that I wanted to be one of the first contributors," Drosdak said. "I'm proud to be part of an organization that believes so strongly in our purpose."
Drosdak smiled and added, "Of course, when Ron agreed to match our donations, the decision was even easier. Taking money out of Ron's pockets was almost more gratifying than giving to the cause!"
Another major contributor was current chapter secretary and past chapter chairman Terry Warner of Schweizer Aircraft, Corp. "If you care about something, then you want to play a part in its stewardship by becoming involved," Warner said. "The ASM Twin Tier Challenge made me feel like I was contributing to the stewardship of materials engineering through my donation."
The original goal of raising a $10,000 contribution has been surpassed by the ASM Twin Tier Challenge. At last count, the pledge total is near $20,000. "That's impressive for a 150-member chapter with a total treasury of roughly $12,000," Parrington said. "It shows how dedicated our members are in helping to shape the future of our profession."
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