HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – Gary Rome Hyundai partnered with Holyoke Community College to raise money for students.

This one-day campaign will help support student programs and scholarships. The third annual “Together HCC: The Drive to Change Lives” campaign will also help students to overcome barriers to success such as homelessness, food insecurity, and tuition.

Gary Rome says people think that community colleges get funding from the state but only about 30 percent is from the state and 70 percent comes from donors.

“It’s really important to me. One of our core values, and I want to make a college education affordable and as available to as many people as possible,” Gary Rome, of Gary Rome Hyundai.

Gary Rome Hyundai also proposed a challenge donation of $5,000 if there are 500 comments on their Facebook page for the campaign. To honor the donation campaign, Gary Rome Hyundai will be giving way Red Sox vs. Yankee tickets at Fenway and gift cards to 10 local restaurants to people in the comments.

As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, the campaign already reached about 300 donors, $119,480. The goal is 400 donors. To donate visit HCC.edu.

“I am happy to be partnering with HCC for a third consecutive year because I am so passionate about making sure a college education is accessible to everyone,” said Rome, a member of the HCC Foundation Board of Directors. “‘Together HCC: The Drive to Change Lives’ is one day where we really can make a difference.” 

“We believe that all students deserve access to a great education,” said Phillips. “On April 25, donations will not only help remove barriers to student success like hunger, homelessness, and housing insecurity, but will instill a sense of pride in our students and faculty by showing them how much we believe in them.”