Hillsdale College will host its most extravagant celebration of the the decade next week.
The college invited approximately 500 donors to campus for a two-day gala to kick off a six-year fundraising effort, called “The Rebirth of Liberty and Learning Campaign.”
The purpose of the gala is not only to celebrate the mission of Hillsdale, but also to bring donors to campus and ask them to partner with the college as it launches a new fundraising campaign.
The plan is to increase the endowment for faculty chairs and student scholarships as well as sponsor building initiatives such as a new chapel and renovations to the sports complex and dorms.
“This is astronomically larger than any event we hold on campus. It’s the biggest event of the decade hands down,” said Rebekah Dell, associate dean of women, who played a key role in organizing the event.
The gala, held on Oct. 9 and 10, will be filled with speakers and performances. The schedule includes the dedications of the John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Education Center, the AcuSport Lodge, and the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship. There will also be performances by the college symphony orchestra and chamber choir. The evening dinners, lectures, and receptions will be open to students.
Columnist and author George Will will lecture Wednesday night. Former President of the Czech Republic Václav Klaus speaks Thursday night.
A transformed Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center will host these evening celebrations. The college hired a company to convert Biermann into a formal event hall with velvet, silk, spotlights, and chandeliers.
“You literally won’t recognize this place,” Dell said. “It’s something that every student should try and see, because it is one of those things that happens once every 10 years at the most.”
After the evening dinner and lectures, everyone is invited to cocktail and hors d’oeuvre receptions to mingle and have fun, Dell said.
She said tickets are still available to any student who wants to attend either or both events.
The gala is so large that the city of Hillsdale cannot accommodate all of the campus guests. The college reserved hotels in Jackson and Coldwater, Mich., and will bus gala-attendees to campus.
Dell has organized hundreds of student workers to serve food, give campus tours, and help clean up, among other things. Student sports teams and clubs are signing up together to work at the event in order to raise money for their organizations.
As gesture of thanks to students for helping with this busy week, the Student Activities Board will host a party on the Quad Oct. 12 from 8 to 11 p.m. with food, bonfires, and a two-man band called The Billies.
