Two Virginia accounting families were profoundly impacted by the events of April 16, 2007. Bryan Cloyd, a professor of accounting at Virginia Tech, and his wife Renee lost their daughter Austin, and Linda Gwaltney, CPA, an accounting manager at Philip Morris in Richmond, lost her step-son Matthew, son of Gregory Gwaltney Jr. and Karen Gwaltney.  

To honor and remember the lives of Austin and Matthew, the VSCPA Educational Foundation has developed a scholarship fund to help future Virginia Tech students achieve their educational dreams. The Austin M. Cloyd and Matthew G. Gwaltney Doctoral Scholarship Fund will provide needed financial support to students pursuing a doctoral degree in accounting at Virginia Tech.  

You can help: Participate in the Day of Remembrance on April 16 by holding an event or program that gives your employees the opportunity to honor the victims and make a difference in the lives of future Virginia Tech students. Or, make an individual contribution to the Austin M. Cloyd and Matthew G. Gwaltney Doctoral Scholarship Fund. Use the links below to learn more about how you can help:

• Participation Ideas 
• Contribution Details
• Firm/Company Recognition

Participation Ideas | Top

Our goal for the Austin M. Cloyd and Matthew G. Gwaltney Doctoral Scholarship Fund is $50,000, and we are currently only part of the way there. You and your staff have the opportunity to help us reach our goal by participating in the Day of Remembrance on April 16. Hold an event or program that provides your employees the opportunity to honor the Virginia Tech victims and make a difference by contributing to this special fund.

We encourage you to take digital pictures of your event and show-and-tell us all about it. For convenience, we have put together sample e-mail text (.DOC) you can customize and send to your staff to announce your event.  

Some ideas for participation include:

• Incorporating the Day of Remembrance into an end-of-tax-season celebration
• Offering a dress-down day during which employees can pay to wear casual clothing
• Organizing a charity poker tournament or conducting a raffle
• Challenging partners to match what employees raise
• Having employees brown bag lunch and donate what they would have spent that day
• Making Starbuck’s coffee in the office so employees can donate the cost of their morning cup of coffee   

Need more creative fundraising ideas? Here’s what some firms and companies are doing:

Beers + Cutler

• Jeans day, lunch and raffle: Beers + Cutler is holding two jeans days. For a $5 donation, participants can wear jeans, receive lunch and are entered into a raffle. Prizes include two club level tickets to the April 14 Pacers vs. Wizards game and four tickets to the Beers + Cutler suite for the July 13 Nationals vs. Houston game. Donors will receive a commemorative ribbon to signify their support. Proceeds benefit The Austin M. Cloyd and Matthew G. Gwaltney Doctoral Scholarship Fund.
• Happy hour event and raffle: A happy hour is planned for the entire staff with friends and family welcome. Virginia Tech alumni are encouraged to invite their friends who are Virginia Tech graduates. A local restaurant is donating food and space for the event. For a $10 donation at the door, each participant will enjoy delicious appetizers, pool, shuffleboard and be entered into a raffle. Prizes include four lower level tickets to the April 14 Wizards vs. Pacers game, two tickets to the November 6 Virginia Tech vs. Maryland game and multiple gift certificates from the hosting restaurant. Proceeds benefit The Austin M. Cloyd and Matthew G. Gwaltney Doctoral Scholarship Fund.
• Moment of silence: On April 16, staff will observe a moment of silence to remember and honor those whose lives were lost. Employees are invited to make a contribution to The Austin M. Cloyd and Matthew G. Gwaltney Doctoral Scholarship Fund either online, by check or cash.
• Word of mouth: Staff are also encouraged to tell family and friends about the fund. Beers + Culter created a special “family and friends” e-mail for this purpose that includes a link to the Foundation’s online donation form.