PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A celebration five decades in the making kicks off at Northern Maine Community College Sept. 9-10 as the campus marks its 50th anniversary with several events for the community during its Homecoming weekend.
An open house is set for Friday, Sept. 9 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Community members are invited to tour the college and see the exciting things happening on campus. The open house will include a free barbecue lunch from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. featuring music by the Presque Isle Middle School Jazz Band under a tent in front of the college gymnasium.
A dozen area vendors will participate in a Harvest Bazaar that will be held on the NMCC campus from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Participants include area crafters, farmers and others who sell goods locally. There are still a limited number of spots available. Interested vendors should contact the NMCC development and college relations office at 768-2810.
The lunchtime performance by the PIMS Jazz Band will kick off an afternoon of entertainment that will extend into the evening on campus. Musical performances by Jeremy Hale and Dan Rooney, Zumba demonstrations, entertainment by the Moon Dance Studios Cloggers, and karaoke and open mic hours will run through 8 p.m. The evening will wrap up with DJ Bob Collins, NMCC auto collision repair instructor, who will spin hits from the five decades since the college’s founding in 1961 between 8-10 p.m.
Activities on Saturday, Sept. 10 will begin at 11 a.m. with a brunch and pep rally. The meal will be served from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Edmunds Conference Center. Cost for the meal is $7 per person.
The pep rally, complete with the Presque Isle High School cheerleaders and activities for the crowd courtesy of “Tim the Tune Man,” will start just prior to the 1 p.m. soccer match between the NMCC Falcons and a team of NMCC alumni soccer players. The feature soccer match will kick off immediately following the pep rally.
Saturday evening brings with it the highlight event of NMCC’s 50th anniversary celebration. The 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner and Silent Auction is expected to draw more than 300 people to the campus gymnasium for an evening of dinner, dancing and celebrating the college’s rich heritage.
The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with The Aroostook Medical Center Social. TAMC is the platinum level sponsor for the NMCC 50th Anniversary Gala along with Aramark, NMCC’s campus dining services provider, who is sponsoring the meal that will follow the TAMC reception.
Among the highlights of the evening will be the honoring of NMCC’s constellation of “50 Shining Stars,” featuring one alumni from each of the graduating classes, as well as three community members who have played a key role in the development of the college.
The selection of the 50 individuals was made by the recently formed NMCC Alumni and Friends Organization which looked for individuals who collectively represent the array of academic programs — past and present — and the breadth and depth of the impact the college and its alumni have made over five decades. Each honoree will be presented with a special star award designed and crafted by Dennis Albert, NMCC welding and metal fabrications instructor, and his students. Each of the 50 individuals will also have a poster featuring their photo unveiled at the Gala. The posters will then be hung throughout the corridors on the campus.
Once all of the “50 Shining Stars” have been presented with their honors, the well-known area band Common Crossing will perform for attendees to enjoy a night of dancing. The band is led by NMCC alumnus Brian Mosher of Presque Isle, who is one of the evening’s Star honorees.
The celebratory event will serve not only to mark the occasion of five decades of service by “The County’s College,” but proceeds from the evening will benefit the NMCC Foundation, which provides scholarship and other assistance to students attending the institution and also funds instructional technology and other purchases for the college annually. Funds raised through the silent auction, coordinated by the NMCC Alumni and Friends Organization, will go toward future activity hosted by that organization.
For more information
on the NMCC 50th Anniversary/Homecoming weekend or to purchase tickets for the Gala Dinner and Silent Auction, call the NMCC Foundation Office at (207) 760-1188 or e-mail scook@nmcc.edu.