The 50th anniversary of Moorpark college is being celebrated at a Golden Gala on Aug. 26. The Moorpark College Foundation hosts the event which serves to raise scholarship money and honor the history of the college.

“[The Gala] in some respects, is to honor the college, and what’s done for the individual who wants to attend, and what it’s done for the community and the students that have gone there,” said Floyd Martin, who joined Moorpark College in 1967 as one of the first two math professors, and is now serving on the gala planning committee.

The Gala will be hosted at the Ronald Reagan Library and will celebrate student and college success. It will feature the induction of the first 20 members of the Moorpark College hall of fame, and musical performances by student musicians, among other festivities. It will also include a keynote speech by National Public Radio correspondent Wade Goodwyn stressing the necessity of fact-based journalism, and the importance community colleges have in developing a well-informed population. Proceeds from the gala will go towards scholarships for students.

“We’re also going to have a silent auction and a live auction,” said Luis Sanchez, College President. “And the purpose of that is to raise funds to try to launch the Moorpark College Promise Scholarship, which is probably my main motivation in life right now.”

The Moorpark College Promise Scholarship encourages higher education by making the first year of college tuition-free. It has become one of the main focuses of the event. Both Ventura and Oxnard College have their own promise scholarships. Proceeds from ticket sales and other donations will go towards funding the Foundation, which helps provide Moorpark College students with scholarship and financial aid opportunities. Many members of the foundation are enthusiastic about the program, including Martin.

“It’s the American dream kind of a thing,” said Martin. “This Moorpark Promise makes it accessible to practically everybody. They gotta have the time to go to school, that’s the tricky part.”

Aside from raising funds for the foundation, the gala promises to be a night of celebration in honor of the 50 years of the College’s operation and the thousands of students that have been educated in that time span.

“I estimated that we’ve probably educated… about 100,000 students over those 50 years, so it’s a significant celebration of our work and the many lives that have been affected by this little college,” said Sanchez.

The Golden Gala will be held Saturday, Aug. 26, at 5:30 p.m. in the Air Force One room of the Ronald Reagan Library. Tickets are currently on sale for $150. For more information on tickets and sponsorship, readers can contact the foundation at (805)-553-4761.

“I think it’s [Moorpark College] really the jewel of Moorpark,” said Martin. “It’s very unique, and very special, and it’s literally changed and improved the lives of tens of thousands of students.”