HCCC President, Dr. Chris Reber, and Dr. Nicholas Chiaravalloti, Vice President of External Affairs & Senior Counsel to the President, will open the online event with a welcoming toast.

Donors to the event will receive a basket filled with a gourmet dinner prepared by chefs of the award-winning HCCC Culinary Arts Institute. The baskets will contain cold seafood, antipasto, assorted cheeses, breads and crackers, a two-entrée dinner, desserts and beverages. The dinner baskets will be available for pickup from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the HCCC Culinary Arts Institute, 161 Newkirk Street, by texting Mirta Sanchez at 908-499-1542.

Paul Dillon, HCCC Associate Dean of Business, Culinary Arts, and Hospitality Management, will be honored at this year’s celebration. As a result of his leadership, the Foundation Gala is recognized as one of the most spectacular and enjoyable events in Hudson County.

Dean Dillon began his career in education at HCCC as a chef-professor in 1984. Previously, he worked for major New York corporations, including Longchamps Inc., Host International, the Orange Bowl Corporation, Restaurant Associates, and ISL International. He has been a consulting chef in a myriad of national and international venues for public and corporate clients, including the 1994 World Cup, the 1992 Winter Olympics, and several PGA and USGA golf tournaments. During his tenure at HCCC, Dean Dillon served as host and executive producer of “Let’s Cook with Paul Dillon,” which aired for 11 seasons on CN8, The Comcast Network. He received eight Telly Awards, three Emmy Award nominations in the “Best Host” category, and an Emmy as “Outstanding Host.”

To cap off the Gala, participants may enter a Lucky Odds Raffle for $50 per ticket. Grand prize is 40 percent of ticket sales; second prize is 6 percent; and third prize is 4 percent.

Complete information about this year’s Gala is available at www.hccc.edu/foundation/gala/.

The Hudson County Community College Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporation providing tax-exempt status to contributors. Established in 1997, the Foundation generates financial support for the College and its students, developing and awarding needs-based and merit scholarships, providing seed money for faculty programs, assisting incoming students in achieving academic success, providing for the College’s physical growth as well as the cultural enrichment of Hudson County residents. Since its founding, the Foundation has raised more than $3.5 million in scholarships. The Foundation Art Collection, which was established in 2006, now includes over 1,250 works – most by nationally and internationally renowned artists.

#   #   #

About Hudson County Community College

Hudson County Community College serves more than 18,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers more than 60 degree and certificate programs, including award-winning English as a Second Language, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Fine and Performing Arts. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. Over 94% of HCCC Nursing program graduates passed the NCLEX first time out, placing the program’s graduates in the top tier of two- and four-year nursing programs nationwide. In 2017, the Equality of Opportunity Project ranked HCCC in the top 5% of 2,200 U.S. higher education institutions for social mobility.

HCCC has partnerships with every major four-year college and university in the greater New Jersey-New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.