The Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College campaign of Fulfilling Dreams received a large charitable donation from a long-time benefactor.

Ross Kegan, vice president of operations for Black Mountain Resources LLC., presented a gift of $70,000 for scholarship endowment and current scholarships and pledged an additional $40,000 to given out over the next two years in scholarships.

Kegan spoke on Thursday at an awards presentation at the SKCTCS campus in Cumberland. Kegan said he came from a family of miners and he was a fourth-generation miner and understood how tough it was to pay for school.

“My father was the first in that line of ancestry that was able to go to college and he stressed to me the importance of an education,” said Kegan. “My father was able to pay for my education, when I graduated I didn’t have any student loans and both of my children have now graduated from college... again without any student loans. But I have seen some classmates of both my children who didn’t have the same opportunity and it is tough.”

Dr. Bruce Ayers, president of SKCTCS said when the school started this particular campaign entitled ‘Fulfilling Dreams’, the school had set a goal to reach $4 million in donations for scholarships and program development.

Ayers said the gift received from Black Mountain Resources was also being met with a matching donation of $50,000 which actually raises the total received for scholarship though the gift to $160,000.

Funds from the state for SKCTCS only pay for about 45 percent of the needing funds to operate and improve. Ayers said without donations, like the one received from Black Mountain Resources, SKCTCS would be a mediocre school and would not be able to have the many different programs and scholarships opportunities it has.

“Our goal was $4 million, this put us well over at $4.6 million, and we have set a new goal of $4.75 million and we are hopeful to exceed that as well,” Ayers said.

Ayers said this was not the first time SKCTCS and Black Mountain Resources have partnered together for the benefit of the communities. Kegan said this was the first time a gift the company gave to the school had been used solely for scholarship endowment.

“Our friends at Black Mountain Resources have a long record of service to our region and have stepped up often with generous donations not only to the college but to other deserving organizations as well,” Ayers said. “Gifts like we are acknowledging here today help to ensure a brighter future for eastern Kentuckians, and it is on their behalf that it is gratefully received.”

Kegan said Black Mountain Resources considers this sort of gift as an investment in the future.

“A criticism that we in the coal industry often receive relates to the legacy we leave behind when the coal is gone,” Kegan said. “We at Black Mountain Resources recognize the value of higher education and its relationship to local economic opportunities. We at Black Mountain Resources consider this contribution to SKCTCS a part of our legacy and a down payment on the future for our region.”