special events
Scholarship Open Committee members: Phil Yawman, Steven Fernaays, Virgil Joseph, Jason Socola, Billy Farmer, Kim Gaylord, Gary Squires, Marcos Solloso, Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, Paige Mange, Charlie Vita, Ed Schuler, Gretchen Wood
SCHOLARSHIP OPEN GOLFERS RAISE OVER $130,000 FOR MCC STUDENTS
Monroe Community College Foundationʼs 40th Annual Scholarship Open presented by Toyota was held June 24 at The Country Club of Rochester. Thanks to our community’s generosity, over $130,000 (net) was raised in support of MCC students to fund public higher education for Greater Rochester. It was perfect golf weather! Our first-place winner for low net was Catone Insurance, and Elmer W. Davis came in as the first-place low gross team. Under the leadership of Committee Co-Chairs Billy Farmer and Ed Schuler ’81 and the Scholarship Open committee, this year’s golf tournament was indeed one to remember!
PLATINUM UNDERWRITER
Toyota Motor Sales, North America
GOLD UNDERWRITER
M/E Engineering, P.C.
BRONZE UNDERWRITER
Crosby-Brownlie, Inc.
The Dolomite Group
Sage Rutty & Company, Inc.
40th ANNIVERSARY SPONSOR
Catenary Construction
Construction Industry Association of Rochester (CIAR)
International Union BAC Local 3 NY
Klein Reinforcing Services
LaBella Associates
Schuler-Haas Electric Corp.
SWBR
UDN, Inc.
FOURSOME WITH HOLE SPONSOR
Adams Leclair, LLP
Canandaigua National Bank and Trust
CloudDOCX
Colliers Engineering & Design
Elmer W Davis, Inc.
Harter, Secrest & Emery, LLP
Jeffers & Birnie CPAs, P.C.
Milton Rents, Inc.
MWI, Inc.
SkyWorks Equipment Rental, LLC
West Herr Auto Group
FOURSOMES
Catone Insurance
Christa Construction, LLC
Five Star Bank
Manning Squires Hennig Co.
M&T Bank
Optimax Systems, Inc.
The Pike Companies
Weckesser Brick Company, Inc.
Woods Oviatt Gilman, LLP
19th HOLE SPONSOR
G & J Contracting Inc
AUCTION SPONSOR
Postler & Jaeckle Corp.
TEE GIFT SPONSOR
Cause + Effect Strategy
Russell P. LeFrois Builder, Inc.
HOLE SPONSOR
Builders Exchange of Rochester
FEG Investment Advisors
LeChase Construction Services, LLC
Logical Control Solutions, Inc.
New York Technology Partners, Inc.
Alethea Kinlock, Betsy Ripton, Mark Pastorella, Liz Kelly, Nikia Washington, Lorna Washington, Raegena Lawrence, Christyn Sanagursky and campers
BE A HEALTHY HERO SUMMER CAMP AWAKENS UNLIMITED POTENTIAL
Hundreds of local children were on Monroe Community College’s Brighton Campus this summer for the Be A Healthy Hero Summer Camp. Children in grades K-5 learned ways to stay active and eat nutritious foods while strengthening their math and language arts skills. The five-week program, led by Camp Director Liz Kelly, Ed.D., classroom educators, camp counselors and youth volunteers, included 20 hours of weekly fitness, 10 hours of weekly academic enrichment and free, healthy meals throughout the day. Transportation was provided to and from the camp for various points in the City of Rochester for the 750 young campers.
“It’s a healthy place to be for our children during the summer,” Liz said. “Our philosophy is enrichment and reinforcement of academic skills during the summer to stop the summer slide. So hopefully children going back to school in September are very close to where they left in June, maybe a little bit further along than they were.”
Through partnerships with the Monroe Community College Foundation, Be A Healthy Hero Summer Camp is generously funded by the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation; ESL Charitable Foundation; Glover Crask Charitable Trust; Max & Marian Farash Foundation; Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Youth Sports; United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes; William & Sheila Konar Foundation; and the family of Paige Gibbons.
Representatives from the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, Greater Rochester Afterschool and Summer Alliance, Rochester Area Community Foundation, United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, and the William & Sheila Konar Foundation visited the camp and were profoundly inspired by its success and the unlimited potential it unlocks for so many children and families in the Rochester community.
Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna with camper and camp Co-Director Alethea Kinlock
“I am deeply proud of our continued partnership with MCC and the Be A Healthy Hero Summer Camp, where each summer, we have the privilege of seeing young minds grow, friendships blossom and lasting memories created. Through this camp, we witness the profound impact these experiences have on Rochester’s young—inspiring growth, learning and academic success.”
—Simeon Banister, president and CEO, Rochester Area Community Foundation
Gold Star Gala: Mark Siwiec, Gretchen Wood, Duffy Palmer, Lauren Dixon, Mike Schwabl, Coleen and Doug Emblidge
Gold Star Gala: Jessica Horner
Gold Star Gala: Tim and Robin Wentworth, Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, Joseph Nanna
GOLD STAR GALA GUESTS RAISE $280,000 FOR MCC STUDENTS
The Monroe Community College Foundation’s 26th Annual Gold Star Gala presented by M&T Bank was held April 27 at The Country Club of Rochester. Unseen Galaxies: An Evening of Wonder was filled with fun, but the mission was quite serious: to raise funds in support of Monroe Community College and to provide scholarships for deserving students. Thanks to our community’s generosity, $280,000 (net) was raised in support of MCC students to fund public higher education for Greater Rochester.
MCC student speaker Jessica Horner ’24, a Dental Hygiene major and scholarship recipient, shone during our scholarship call that evening. Honorary Chairs Dawn F. Lipson, Mark Siwiec and Duffy Palmer; Committee Chairs Nicki Hastings, Jay Popli, Lisa and Rich Paulis; Auction Advocates Robin ’80 and Tim ’80 Wentworth; our evening’s emcee, Doug Emblidge; and our Gala Committee made this year’s gala one to remember!
PRESENTING SPONSOR
M&T Bank
ANDROMEDA
Dawn F. Lipson
Mark Siwiec and Duffy Palmer
Tim ’80 & Robin ’80 Wentworth
PEGASUS
McCarthy Tents & Events, LLC
GEMINI
Dixon Schwabl + Company
ESL
Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk
Foundation
Optimax Systems, Inc.
Popli Design Group
Rochester Regional Health
PISCES
Barbara & John Bruning
Colliers Engineering & Design
Konar Properties
Elizabeth Wende
Breast Care, LLC
Paychex, Inc.
Rocky Mountain Granite &
Marble and Quartz Plus
Thorlabs Lens Systems
Lori Van Dusen/LVW Advisors
Woods Oviatt Gilman, LLP
URSA MAJOR
Cornell/Weinstein Family Foundation
Corning Incorporated
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
Konar Properties
Mike Krupnicki ’85.
LaBella Associates
M/E Engineering, P.C.
Royal Oak Realty Trust
SWBR
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.
URSA Minor
AmeriCOM Center for Optics
Manufacturing
Bond Schoeneck & King, PLLC
Cause + Effect Strategy
Davie Kaplan, CPA, P.C.
Economic Development and
Innovative Workforce Services
GP Flooring Solutions
Hamilton Stern
Construction, LLC
Elaine S. Michael/The James
Michael Foundation
Nixon Peabody LLP
OptiPro Systems, LLC
Rochester Red Wings
Sands Family
Supporting Foundation
William J. Scott ’72 and Debbie
C. Stamps ’97, Ed.D., RN
University of Rochester
Medical Center
Allen K. Williams
Laurie Zaucha
Salute to Excellence: Gretchen Wood, Martin Birmingham, David Egner, Allen Williams, Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna
SALUTE TO EXCELLENCE
What a celebration! The Monroe Community College Foundation’s 32nd Annual Salute to Excellence dinner was an evening filled with shining examples of leadership, philanthropy and MCC success stories. Nearly 300 business and community leaders, and MCC alumni, students, faculty, staff and administrators gathered December 6 at the Floreano Convention Center. Honorary Chairs Erin and Truman Tolefree, along with Committee Chair Robert J. Duffy ’75, set the stage for an incredible evening that celebrated the MCC Foundation’s 40th anniversary!
Following the induction of the Class of 2023 into the MCC Alumni Hall of Fame—which included Angelica Perez-Delgado ’97, Joseph M. Rizzo ’79, Patricia Flynn Soltys ’72 and Alyssa Whitfield ’90—Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation President and CEO David O. Egner accepted the 2023 Salute to Excellence award. The award recognized the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s philanthropic commitment to the Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center from concept to completion and its continued investment in increasing the pool of skilled technicians and providing upward opportunities for residents in the region.
At the dinner, Honorary Chair Erin Tolefree, president and CEO, and her sister Cara Hughes, vice president of customer and community, announced a $100,000 gift from Baldwin Richardson Foods in support of the Young Women College Prep Endowed Scholarship and technical students through the Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center, making it possible for more students to enroll and succeed at MCC.
GOLD SPONSOR
Cannon Industries/Burnett Process
ESL Federal Credit Union
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
Rochester Gas & Electric
Saunders Foundation
SILVER SPONSOR
Konar Properties
M&T Bank
Rocky Mountain Granite & Marble
and Quartz Plus
BRONZE SPONSOR
Five Star Bank
Kate & Tom Flynn
LaBella Associates
M/E Engineering, P.C.
Royal Oak Realty Trust
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.
Allen K. Williams
PATRON TABLE
Baldwin Richardson Foods
Amy Bell
Corning
Dress for Success Rochester
EFPR Group, CPAs
Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce
Ibero-American Development Corporation
JPMorgan Chase
Rochester Gas & Electric
WHEC-TV
Whitfield Family
Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP
Salute to Excellence: Angelica Perez-Delgado, Patricia Flynn Soltys, Alyssa Whitfield, Joseph Rizzo
Salute to Excellence: Erin Tolefree, Cara Hughes