SANFORD - Diane Fitzgerald, National Director of the Hagerty Education Program at LeMay - America's Car Museum (HEP-ACM), recently visited Central Carolina Community College.

HEP-ACM is the funding source for the CCCC Classic Car Scholarship. CCCC applied for and received $12,000 to support scholarships to students in the Automotive Restoration program.

"The Classic Car scholarship is an important addition to our portfolio of student financial support," said Emily Hare, CCCC Foundation Executive Director. "We are thankful to former CCCC student Joseph Gambaccini, who is now working full-time in the auto restoration field, for bringing the Hagerty Education Program grant to our attention."

While on campus, Ms. Fitzgerald and HEP Volunteer Ambassador Bud McIntire toured the Automotive Restoration program and visited with students, followed by a tour of the CCCC Lee County Campus. They also attended the CCCC Foundation Scholarship Luncheon.

"HEP Volunteer Ambassador Bud McIntire and I were thrilled to be part of the annual Scholarship Luncheon on November 18th. It was clear the impact CCCC has on the community by the shear show of force by so many scholarship sponsors," said Ms. Fitzgerald. "The HEP scholars were incredible - passionate, knowledgeable, appreciative. I am so glad we got to spend so much time getting to know them in the restoration shop and at the luncheon. Bud and I were especially proud to represent LeMay - America's Car Museum, a car museum in Tacoma, Wash. - funding a community college restoration degree program 2,866 miles away. Each of us is making a difference."

Hagerty Insurance founded the Collectors Foundation in 2005 in an effort to give back to the classic vehicle community. In 2014, with the support of the Collectors Foundation Board of Directors, Hagerty entered into an agreement to align the educational initiatives of the Foundation with LeMay - America's Car Museum. As a result of this collaboration, the Collectors Foundation was renamed the Hagerty Education Program.

The Hagerty Education Program is a nonprofit supporting organization of LeMay - America's Car Museum designed to help ensure critical skills necessary to preserve and restore collector vehicles are not lost.

The program awards scholarships and educational grants to organizations committed to "hands-on education" and making a difference in the lives of young people through the appeal of historic vehicles and vessels - building the next generation of collectors.

For more information on Central Carolina Community College, visit www.cccc.edu.