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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Gala Volunteers Raise $53,000 for MCC Students, 52% Over Last Year


Another event hosted by the Monroe Community College Foundation has achieved record results for MCC students. The Foundation’s 6th annual Gold Star Gala held on May 15 at Monroe Golf Club raised over $53,000, yielding a 52 percent increase over last year’s total.

The event was co-chaired by MCC Foundation Directors Diana Lauria and John Lovenheim who were supported by a committee of 15 volunteers from MCC and the Rochester community. Over 60 auction items were contributed to the event by MCC faculty and staff. Kimberley Canfield, Academic Services, led the college’s acquisition committee responsible for securing goods and services to be auctioned.

Following a gourmet dinner, the 175 guests bid on silent and live auction items. Howie Jacobson served as auctioneer and started the live auction bidding on an MCC graduation teddy bear. Stasia Callan, professor of English, was on hand to see her donation of a meal and stories of the Maori People of New Zealand garner over $2,000. President R. Thomas Flynn and Doug Brown, Campus Center director, offered a "Shooting Stars Extravaganza" that yielded three winning bids of $2,400 each.

Emphasizing anticipated enrollment numbers for 2004-2005, Len Redon, chair of the MCC Foundation Board of Directors, noted “There are 38,000 reasons to show our support of MCC.”

Redon also thanked Honorary Gala Co-Chairs John L. DiMarco, president and CEO, The DiMarco Group, and David H. Klein, chief executive officer, Excellus BlueCross Blue Shield, for their Gold Star sponsorship. Both gentlemen acknowledged their relationships with MCC. DiMarco commented that the people he had met at MCC were “family.”

MCC student Danielle Lowery-Rusby told the audience about the support she receives from faculty and staff. She also commented that attending MCC "was the best decision I have ever made." The MCC Jazz Quartet, under the direction of John Nyerges, VaPa, provided musical accompaniment for the evening.

Thank you to everyone who contributed their time and talent to this event.

Rosanna Condello
Public Affairs
05/20/2004