FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 30, 2002

Irvine Valley College Foundation Awards Dinner A Success

Annual event raises funds for student scholarships and campus projects.

IRVINE, CA—Irvine Valley College held its annual Foundation Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency on April 18, raising over $25,000 for student scholarships and capital improvement projects on the Irvine Valley campus.

This year’s theme, “Building Bridges to Bright Futures, II” is a continuation of last year’s theme in which the Foundation honors community leaders and educators for their contributions to the field of higher education and to Irvine Valley College.

This year’s honorees were The Irvine Health Foundation; Superintendent Patricia Clark White, Irvine Unified School District; Superintendent Theresa Daem, Laguna Beach Unified School District; Supervisor Jerry Gross, Saddleback Valley Unified School District; and Superintendent Peter Gorman, Tustin Unified School District. Each was introduced by an Irvine Valley student and presented with an award by South Orange County Community College District Chancellor, Dr. Raghu Mathur; Irvine Valley College Interim President, Dr. Glenn R. Roquemore; and Foundation Chairman, Frank Micheletti.

According to Foundation Dinner Chairman, Duane Cave, the event was a success because the IVC Foundation’s major sponsors are committed to education. And, even with a jumpy economy, the Foundation Awards Dinner brought in funds that likely will be needed as more cuts loom in the State’s education budget next year, he added.

Major sponsors of the Foundation Awards Dinner include the Associated Students of Irvine Valley College, The Gas Company/Sempra Energy, The Irvine Company, Lincoln Mercury, The Irvine Health Foundation, the IVC Wind Symphony, the IVC Department of Athletics, and the Irvine Public Schools Foundation.

The evening’s highlights included an energetic live auction by County Supervisor and Master of Ceremonies, Todd Spitzer, who helped raise over $11,000. Supervisor Spitzer also made a personal pledge of $3,500 to the Foundation from his campaign committee.

“The IVC Foundation is grateful to our many donors and sponsors who supported our efforts in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the economic downturn that has affected fundraising for many other non-profit organizations,” said Bill Christiansen, Director of the Irvine Valley College Foundation. “We are enormously grateful to Supervisor Spitzer for his extraordinary support and enthusiastic skills as Master of Ceremonies,” he added.

Irvine Valley’s award-winning Wind Symphony performed a 15-minute patriotic mini-concert under the direction of conductor and long-time IVC professor, Dr. Stephen Rochford.

For more information about the Irvine Valley College Foundation, contact Bill Christiansen at (949) 451-5472 or online at wchristians@ivc.edu.