BUTLER TWP — Butler County Community College’s Education Foundation has raised nearly $5 million for its Pioneer Proud Campaign for the Heaton Family Learning Commons and other initiatives.

Now the BC3 Foundation is asking the public for donations to raise $500,000 more to meet its $5.5 million goal, said Ruth Purcell, executive director of the BC3 Education Foundation.

She discuss the fundraising effort at the Wednesday BC3 trustee meeting.

The quiet phase of the campaign launched two years ago with the goal of increasing private investment for critical projects.

Those include building the Heaton Family Learning Commons that is replacing the John A. Beck Library, which is set to open next summer.

It also includes funding scholarships and enriching existing programs such as college in the high school.

“We will continue our efforts until we achieve our fundraising goals with a focus on the library initiative,” Purcell said in a statement.

“We want to make sure that the Heaton Family Learning Commons has state of the art technology so that BC3 students are well prepared to use information technology in their future jobs and education.”

To donate, contact Ruth Purcell at 724-287-8711 x 8368 or ruth.purcell@bc3.edu.

BC3 last had a fundraising campaign in 1999, which raised about $3.5 million to help build the Science and Technology building on campus.