SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Springfield Technical Community College hosted a special event on Giving Tuesday to raise funds for its students. They held their first "Coffee for a Cause" drive-thru event which gave the public a chance to support students, who are facing financial challenges. At the event, guests had the opportunity to support students by donating the money they would have spent on coffee. Organizers say…while the free community college program covers tuition many students will need support for other essentials. The funds will help students afford the cost of food, technology, and other essentials for their academic success. Volunteer Damion Harper told 22News, "It's a real community effort and just showed how crucial STCC was all part of our upbringing and I'm so happy to see how our community came by and happy to see we made our mark and continue to thrive each year to have more of an impact in our community." Those who contributed were entered into a raffle for a chance to win prizes like a $500 MGM Springfield gift card and one lucky winner will get to spend a night at MGM Springfield and dine at the Chandler Steakhouse. You can still make a donation to STCC if you missed the event. By the end of the day, the college hopes to have raised nearly $5,000. Local News Headlines WEATHER ALERT: Snow Wednesday evening through Thursday morning Marcotte Ford donates $10K in gifts to families in need Local organizations participate in ‘Giving Tuesday’ in hopes of gaining community support & raise funds Lawmakers’ plan for closing the budget gap WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.