Roaring ’20s-themed anniversary gala to support IVCC Foundation

Illinois Valley Community College will host a Roaring ’20s gala blending its past, its present and its future to mark the end of its 100th anniversary celebration, the college said in a news release.

The gala is at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at Senica’s Oak Ridge in rural La Salle.

It will feature live and silent auctions, as well as music by the IVCC Jazz Band Combo and popular local band Harmonix, with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails followed by dinner and dancing.

The past lives in the theme, recalling the decade when LPO Junior College was founded, as guests are transported to the Roaring ’20s through the magic of period-specific decorations created by Tony Einhaus of Thee Ultimate Party. The more recent past is recalled in the five-member Harmonix band, which includes an IVCC instructor and college alumni.

Corporate and individual donors who have supported IVCC, its programs and its students through the years will be in attendance, according to the release. And there will be a video montage spotlighting scholarship recipients expressing what the awards have meant to them and their future goals.

“We are celebrating 100 years of academic excellence, and those that helped us get where we are and help us continue to grow,” foundation Executive Director Tracy Beattie said in a news release. “The videos will introduce a poignancy to the evening as guests see the faces and hear the stories of students for whom their generosity has made a difference.”

Beattie said live and silent auction prizes will yield a variety of gift certificates, trips, baskets of goodies and more. Bidders can contend for auction prizes or contribute to build specific funds-in-need to benefit students directly.

Radio host Tom Henson will serve as emcee, and IVCC President Tracy Morris will deliver remarks. JH Photography Studio also will be available all evening.

“It is a nice date night, an adult prom, where you can get dressed up and mingle – and you will be going out to benefit because you can feel good about helping,” Beattie said.

Attendance is open to the public, in addition to mailed invitations to current and past donors.

RSVPs are due March 14, or individuals can buy tickets, which are $125 per guest or $800 for a table for eight, at the link below.

For more information and tickets, visit ivcc.edu/foundation/gala.