Education 
Simply put, education has the power to change lives and level society’s playing fields. By supporting education from many angles, Dragas philanthropy demonstrates the firm conviction that education is the primary equalizer of opportunity and has proven to be the most effective means of achieving a multi-generational impact on society. 

Whether through support of local public-school requests, funding exceptional K-12 programming and financial aid, initiating and supporting a variety of higher education initiatives and institutions, or campaigning actively to make public higher education institutions more accessible and affordable, education has always been the centerpiece of Dragas philanthropy. 

Family Crisis Solutions 
Sometimes as basic as providing a meal or as complex as healing a trauma, Dragas philanthropy all comes back to supporting the things which give children the basic stability necessary for them to achieve a quality education. 

• Housing [For Kids, Samaritan House, $1.5 million gift to Hampton Roads municipalities]
• Justice system navigation
• Crisis counseling and general child and family well-being
• Hunger alleviation

Governance
Society’s educational and charitable organizations depend on responsive, transparent governance to ensure their longevity and create open, equitable pathways for all, regardless of income or background. Contributing thousands of volunteer hours to numerous local, regional, and statewide governing boards has been a hallmark of Dragas leadership. At Old Dominion University, the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy at Old Dominion University conducts a wide range of objective economic, demographic, educational, social, transportation and military studies and is actively involved in widely cited economic forecasting activities for the region and the Commonwealth.

$50,000 contributed to ForKids’ Annual Art Auction 

As part of our “year of giving back” initiative to celebrate 50 years in business, The Dragas Companies made a Capstone Contribution of $50,000 to ForKids’ Annual Art Auction, helping the local non-profit toward its goal of building two new centers that will serve 62,000 area residents each year. This marks the fifth year Dragas has served as title sponsor of the ForKids Art Auction.

Girls on the Run Family 5K 
Fifty girls from Title 1 schools (those with high percentages of children from low-income families) got a new pair of running shoes courtesy of The Dragas Companies. When we launched the local branch of The Girls on the Run Family 5K event 12 years ago, 34 girls took part. This year, more than 12,000 girls participated.

The Rosemont Road Unit of the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Virginia Boys
To encourage reading among the 260 children attending this summer’s program, we donated 50 summer reading kits to the Boys and Girls Club. “Our staff was passionate about their favorite book series, so we built our list around their recommendations,” said Sally Horvath, VP of Sales and Marketing.

Summer Sleepaway Camper Kits

Everything needed for a summer sleepaway is in each of the 50 camping kits we donated to ForKids Inc., a local nonprofit fighting homelessness. “Instead of spending their summers in shelters,” said Thaler McCormick, CEO of ForKids. “This gift helps help us show our kids there is so much possibility in the world."