FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Averett University's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee helped raise more than $5,000 claim its fourth consecutive USA South Conference "Pennies for a Purpose" championship with a record total.

Averett's total of $5,221.94 is the single-highest total collected by one institution in the 11 years of the competition. Overall, USA South member institutions collected a record $20,204.93 this spring.

In an effort to help worthy organizations during the spring semester, the USA South SAAC developed "Pennies for a Purpose" in 2008. The schools had from the return of winter break until April 7 to collect loose change which would later be donated to an organization of their choosing. The end of this year's initiative coincided with the NCAA's seventh-annual Division III Week.

???????Averett's collection will benefit the Danville community through the Head Start program. Other portions of the money raised will go to Victory Junction and to Team Molly. Averett SAAC helped fundraise for the competition through its annual "Pie in the Face" competition, a campus cornhole tournament, a fundraiser at Virginia International Raceway, a Chipotle Night fundraiser, a Team Molly game fundraiser, a tire raffle, and faculty and student dorm raids.

Over the 11-year history of the program, the USA South institutions have donated $78,532.89 to local organizations.

???????Averett will be re-presented the Pennies for a Purpose plaque at a later date. Maryville College raised $3,101.00 to finish second with the fifth-highest single-year total collected. In third place was Meredith College with $2,641.14 raised which is the sixth-highest single-year amount collected. Methodist University placed fourth with $1,797.29 gathered while N.C. Wesleyan College was fifth with $1,601.00 collected.

"Pennies for a Purpose" is one of two community service programs developed by the USA South Conference SAAC as the "Cans Across the Conference" food drive, which takes place during the Thanksgiving holiday, was created in 2004. Through that campaign, USA South Institutions have donated a total of 441,722 items to their local communities. Averett was also victorious in that competition for the third consecutive year by collecting 17,300 items.
 

Organizations benefited by Pennies for a Purpose in 2018
Agnes Scott College - PAWS of Atlanta, Georgia
Berea College - New Opportunities School for Women in Berea, Kentucky
Brevard College - Brevard, North Carolina Bread of Life
Averett University - Split between Victory Junction (VIR), Team Molly and Head Start in Danville, VA.
Covenant College - EastLake Expression Engine of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Ferrum College - The Ferrum Elementary Backpack Program
Greensboro College - Greensboro, North Carolina Urban Ministries
Huntingdon College - New Heights for Youth in Montgomery, Alabama
LaGrange College - Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen in LaGrange, Georgia
Mary Baldwin University - "$5.55 Feminine Hygiene Drive", supplying local homeless teenagers with a one-month supply of necessary hygiene products.
Maryville College - The Brittany Johnson Memorial Fund
Meredith College - The American Cancer Society
Methodist University - The Kay Yow Foundation
N.C. Wesleyan College - Split between Donate Life America in honor of Sam Proctor (husband of long time staff member, Martha Proctor) and Kids vs. Cancer.
Pfeiffer University - Local area  Special Olympics
Piedmont College -  Habersham County, Georgia Humane Society
Salem College - The Amazing Grace Organization of Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Wesleyan College - Bibb County, Georgia Special Olympics
William Peace University - March of Dimes