Aiken Technical College student veterans donned chef hats, aprons and even mustaches recently, raising $800 for the college's Student Veterans Association recently.
Association members transformed the Student Activities Center into an Italian bistro for the day. Students sold plates of spaghetti, donated by Travinia Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar in Aiken.
Students, faculty and staff purchased dine-in and to-go plates for $5, with all proceeds benefiting Student Veterans Association's service projects for local veterans.
"We wanted to do something to bring the campus together as a community to support our local veterans," said Association President Joel Wightman. "As soon as we mentioned the word 'veterans' to Travinia's, they were on board and graciously donated all the food for sale."
ATC has close to 200 student veterans, and offers many resources and assistance to veterans and their families. ATC's Student Veterans Association connects student veterans on campus and provides them with support and resources to achieve success.
The Veterans to Careers initiative, a partnership between ATC, USC Aiken, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and the Aiken-Augusta Warrior Project, strive to match student veterans' programs, discipline and skill sets that can lead to temporary positions with businesses in the area.