Hudson County Community College Foundation’s 17th Annual ‘Holiday Extravaganza’ Is a Record-Breaking Success
December 9, 2014
Fundraising gala celebrating the College’s 40th Anniversary grossed $208,000; Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise was honored for his support.
December 9, 2014, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Vice President for Development Joseph Sansone announced today that the HCCC Foundation’s 2014 gala fundraiser was the most successful to date. Mr. Sansone said the 17th Annual “Holiday Extravaganza” grossed a record-breaking $208,000. The event was held on December 4th at the College’s Culinary Conference Center in Jersey City. Proceeds from the event will be dedicated to scholarships for deserving students, faculty development programs, and the College’s physical expansion.
In celebration of the College’s 40th Anniversary, the theme of this year’s gala was “Travel back to the Beginning ... 1974.” The décor and menu reflected trends and cuisine that were popular in 1974. A PowerPoint presentation ran throughout the evening and displayed cultural icons of the time of the College’s founding, including TV shows, movies, music, national politics and fashion that were prominent in 1974. The evening’s hospitality hour and gourmet dinner feast were prepared by the chefs/instructors of the College’s nationally acclaimed Culinary Arts Institute. Students from the HCCC Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management program provided the stellar service during the event.
Another highlight of the event was the special recognition of Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise, who was honored for his steadfast support of Hudson County Community College and its students with the 2014 HCCC Foundation “Distinguished Community Service Award.” Mr. DeGise has been particularly instrumental in supporting the College’s physical expansion. Since he became the County Executive in 2002, the College has completed from-the-ground-up construction of three new facilities – the Culinary Conference Center and Library Building in Jersey City’s Journal Square, and the North Hudson Higher Education Center in Union City. In addition, HCCC has renovated several other buildings in the Journal Square area, including 2 Enos Place, 70 Sip Avenue, and One PATH Plaza.
The Hudson County Community College Foundation is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 corporation giving tax-exempt status to contributors. Since the Foundation was established in 1997, it has provided over $2 million in scholarships to more than 2,000 students.
In addition, the HCCC Foundation established the Foundation Art Collection eight years ago to coincide with the initiation of the College’s Fine Arts studies program. Presently, the Collection includes nearly 800 paintings, lithographs, photographs, sculptures, and other works-of-art that are displayed throughout all of the buildings on the College’s Journal Square Campus and at the North Hudson Higher Education Center. Artists in the Collection include: Donald Baechler, Leonard Baskin, Elizabeth Catlett, Christo, Willie Cole, Edward S. Curtis, Marcel Duchamp, Lisa Parker Hyatt, Rockwell Kent, Joseph Kosuth, Valeri Larko, Roy Lichtenstein, Reginald Marsh, Méret Oppenheim, Robert Rauschenberg, Man Ray, Mickalene Thomas, and William Wegman. The Foundation also hosts a series of lectures called “Arts Talks,” which feature prominent artists and art authorities and scholars and are open to the general public.
The HCCC Foundation’s Board of Directors also organizes and holds an annual Golf Outing, “Night at the Races,” and the HCCC Employee Scholarship Luncheon. There are other events held throughout the year to build scholarship funds for students specifically from Hudson County’s northern and western municipalities.