Hagerstown Community College holds gala to honor 75th anniversary
Hagerstown Community College celebrated its 75th anniversary with a gala Saturday night, while announcing the raising of millions of dollars for student scholarships.
Roughly 426 people attended the 22nd annual event, a glitzy affair titled "A Gem for Generations" and held at the Athletic, Recreation and Community Center on the campus east of Hagerstown.
Amongst the music, food and drinks was the surprise announcement that what started as an initial goal of $7.5 million in donations ballooned into $10 million.
"It's very exciting," said Ashley Whaley, senior director of college advancement and executive director of the HCC Foundation. "We started this journey a year ago and we didn't know what to expect."
Whaley said a team of volunteers worked tirelessly to raise money throughout the year.
"The goal of the 75th anniversary campaign is to raise substantial scholarship dollars to ensure that every student who wants an education has access to HCC's excellent educational programs and resources," according to a news release regarding the gala.
The fundraising campaign is set to conclude on Dec. 31, when the college hopes to raise $10.5 million.
With 75 years of HCC history, college President Jim Klauber pondered the HCC's next 75 years.
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"I see a great future ahead for the school," Klauber said in an interview. "We will continue to do what we have always done: Take people where they are to where they want to go."
Meanwhile, the foundation announced earlier in April that it had received a commitment of four major donations totaling $4.5 million.
That money will be used for student scholarships, along with the development of a new centralized location for workforce training programs on Northern Avenue in Hagerstown.
Three separate donations of $1 million were given for student scholarships from the AC&T Co. Inc., the Jone L. Bowman Foundation and an anonymous donor.
An additional $1.5 million came from Washington County for the development of a workforce training center. The county commissioners allocated the money last month from capital reserves as matching funds related to HCC's grant application.
The D.M. Bowman Family Workforce Training Center will be built on the Northern Avenue property purchased by HCC. The center will provide a central location for all of HCC’s off-campus training programs.
The college bought the former Gold's Gym building at 562 Northern Ave. for $2.75 million. The 41,000-square-foot building sits on a 6-acre site. The new center also will be home to the Barr Construction Institute, operated by the Cumberland Valley Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors.
The plan is for the Barr Institute to move into the Bowman Workforce Training Center from its current location on North Locust Street in Hagerstown.
This will allow HCC to work with the Associated Builders and Contractors to enhance skilled trades programs, increase enrollment in these programs and give students the opportunity to cross-train or complete an associate degree.
AC&T Student Center
HCC's Student Center will be called the AC&T Student Center, thanks to the company's donation of $1 million.
The student center opened in 2015, following major renovations to the facility that had previously been the College Center.
The center is home to the offices of Student Affairs, Retention and Registration, Veterans Connection Center, Hilltop Grill, Hawk Café, a gaming room, the campus store, and indoor and outdoor dining and seating areas for students.
For more information, call Ashley Whaley at 240-500-2348 or send an email to foundationscholarships@hagerstowncc.edu.
Sherry Greenfield is an education reporter, covering Washington County Public Schools.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown Community College holds gala; announces $10 million raised
