ANDERSON, Ind. — Conveniende-store company Ricker’s has donated $500,000 to Ivy Tech Community College and its new Anderson, Ind., campus as a way to give back to the community in which it found its start.

“We love this community, and we’ve prospered here from its support,” Nancy Ricker, co-founder of the company and a member of the East Central region board of trustees, said at the August 6 ceremony to dedicate and celebrate the new campus, reported The Herald Bulletin.

This gift marks Ricker’s largest single philanthropic contribution to date.

The contribution will go to support the school’s new 85,000-square-foot, $24-million facility. The new location, Anderson’s fourth Ivy Tech campus, will house the schools of business, technology, public services and liberal arts. The space also features the advanced automation and robotics lab, simulation data control center and multiple collaborative classrooms, all equipped with the latest wireless technology.
A portion of Ricker’s donation will go to fund Ricker’s Student Commons. The commons feature two floors of open space and three sides of floor to ceiling glass that overlook a three-acre pond. It will be a visual and communal focal point for students, staff and visitors to gather, visit, study, eat and relax.

Ivy Tech, the country’s largest community college, hosted a ceremony August 6 to celebrate the new campus.

“It is apparent that the Ricker Family values this community and embraces the role education brings to economic development by empowering individuals with the tools they need to be successful,” said Dr. James Willey, president of the Anderson Campus of Ivy Tech.

“Supporting Ivy Tech is a way for us to give back to the community where we started our company,” said Nancy Ricker. “In addition, we have first-hand experience understanding the needs of Ivy Tech because many of our employees are also Ivy Tech students. Most importantly, our state needs more dollars directed to education to create better paying jobs—not only for Ricker’s employees, but for all Hoosier’s.”

Jay and Nancy Ricker founded Ricker’s in 1979. The Anderson, Ind.-based company has more than 52 convenience stores.