THE PUTNAM COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
PRESS RELEASE
QUESTIONS: M. Elaine Peck
653-4978
PREFERRED DATE OF PRINT: For immediate release
PHOTO: Yes – Tim Gierke
PCCF LOGO:Yes
Headline: HOP Technologies Endows Scholarship Program
Copy:
Beginning in 2006, HOP Technologies will award scholarships to two Putnam County students, one demonstrating excellence in athletics and one who demonstrates excellence in academics. Applications are available from the Putnam County Community Foundation, and recipients are selected annually by the Community Foundation’s scholarship committee. The scholarship is permanently endowed, which means that contributions to the fund are never spent. Instead, donations are professionally invested by the Community Foundation, and the earnings will provide annual scholarship awards in perpetuity.
Tim Gierke, President of HOP Technologies, described the inspiration for setting up the HOP Technologies Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation. “My father, Carl Gierke, started House of Phones in Greencastle, in 1983. He impressed upon me the value of giving back to the community that sustains my business.” Among his many community activities, Gierke is President of the Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center and is also involved in providing athletic opportunities to Putnam County youth.
Gierke described a dilemma faced by many businesses: coping with the constant flow of people, projects, and activities requesting donations from his company. “I was spending a lot of my time considering the merits of different requests, and feeling upset that I could not support all the worthy causes that walked through my door,” said Gierke. “So I decided to be strategic about the philanthropy my company was doing. I wanted my company’s giving to reflect the company values and to help kids directly. The Putnam County Community Foundation helped me to accomplish these goals.”
HOP Technologies has 28 employees and offices in Brazil and Greensburg, Indiana. HOP provides wireless internet and communication, security services for business and residences, telephone systems, computer solutions, data networking and management, web design, structure wiring, dish network, indoor/outdoor audio, surveillance video, and home automation and theater. “HOP Technologies is always growing and changing,” said Gierke. “We are all about providing state-of-the art technology solutions that are the best for each one of our clients.”