SBVC’s 90th Anniversary Gala Raises $135,000 for Student Scholarships

SAN BERNARDINO>> On Friday, Oct. 14, the San Bernardino Valley College Foundation’s 90th Anniversary Gala brought hundreds of alumni, dignitaries and philanthropists to campus to celebrate SBVC’s 90th anniversary and to raise funds for student scholarships. At the end of the night, donors had contributed more than $135,000 to help support programs ranging from athletics to music, as well as to provide low-income students with textbook vouchers. “We disburse around $200,000 in scholarships to our students each year,” said Karen Childers, the foundation’s director. “The amount we have raised has significantly exceeded our goal, so we are very excited.” Augmenting the support raised by donors in attendance were two larger donations: $25,000 from Kitchell / BRJ and Associates and $300,000 from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The latter contribution was earmarked for Valley-Bound Commitment, a SBVC program which grants thousands of local high-school graduates a free first year of college, and which the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has supported since the program’s inception in 2008. “I am proud to be affiliated with this community treasure,” said Emmy Award-winning actress Lindsay Wagner, a former SBVC professor who was the guest emcee for the event. The gala was held in SBVC’s newest and biggest building: the 3-story, 108,000 square foot Kinesiology and Athletics Complex, which first opened to students in August 2016.