Foundation Event Raises Funds for Students with Financial Needs

More than $135,000 was raised for Kalamazoo Valley Community College students with financial needs during the KVCC Foundation's Opportunities for Education Scholarship Fundraising event (OFE) on Sept. 22. This event is the Foundation's primary source of funding for student scholarships.

This year's event was held at the college's Food Innovation Center on the downtown Bronson Healthy Living Campus and featured delicious tastings from area restaurants Brick and Brine, West Michigan Pasta and Provisions, WL SocialHouse and Cove Lakeside Bistro. Kalamazoo Valley's own Chef Lucas McFarland and Chef Stephanie Hughes-Winfrey and culinary program students Anessa Tolbert and Jennifer Burnett creations were also featured.

PNC Bank was the presenting sponsor. More than 35 other individuals, businesses and friends helped to sponsor the event. Foundation Board of Directors Chairperson Michelle Eldridge said, "The education provided at Kalamazoo Valley Community College is a solution to so many needs out there right now and I believe donors are hungry to send their dollars to solutions like what our college opportunity offers."

Scholarship recipient Chef LaShieka was spotlighted as a successful culinary program graduate, her story is available here. Photographs from the event are available on the Kalamazoo Valley flickr account at https://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamazoovalley/albums/72177720302346698.

Established in 1980 the KVCC Foundation accepts both unrestricted contributions and those designed for specific purposes, such as student scholarships, the purchase of necessary equipment to improve instruction and construction of new facilities.

The Kalamazoo Valley Community College Foundation serves as an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization for the support of the college, its students, faculty, staff and affiliated entities.

Gifts for student scholarships are still being accepted. For more information, visit www.kvcc.edu/foundation and select the donate or KVCCGIVES navigation.