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| Internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter Paul Anka at Founders’ Celebration 2006. |
The university’s annual fundraising gala known as Founders’ Celebration, which has attracted such stars such as Paul Anka, The Smothers Brothers and Glen Campbell, will feature a different kind of star in the future.
Founders’ Celebration will be replaced with another annual event to honor founding and subsequent members of the Founders’ Society, a membership organization established in 2006 to recognize the generous support of Cal Poly Pomona’s highest-level supporters. Members qualify through lifetime cumulative gifts of $250,000 or more. More than 60 qualified donors will be inducted into the new giving society.
Founders’ Celebration was co-hosted in the spring by the Cal Poly Pomona University Educational Trust, as well as numerous supporters and alumni, who sponsored tables, auction items and various facets of the gala. Although the event helped raise more than $1.8 million for student scholarships and academic enrichment since its inception in 1999, university representatives thought it was the right time to develop the Founders’ Society.
“The previous Founders’ Celebration events have laid the groundwork for this fabulous next step honoring our pinnacle level donors,” says Scott Warrington, vice president for university advancement. “Indeed, the celebration had become so huge that we are actually splitting the former event into two: the Founders’ Society Gala and a new university-wide auction that will be launched in the spring of 2008. We are very excited about both.”
The inaugural Founders’ Society induction ceremony will be held April 21. For more information, call University Advancement at (909) 869-6989.