Tickets Available For Howard Community College Annual Dinner

From Howard Community College:

Posted 2/17/20

Howard Community College Event Raises Money to Support Program & Student Scholarships

Columbia, MD – Twenty years ago, Howard Community College (HCC) created the Silas Craft Collegians Program to provide students with a pathway for success through specialized academic support, resources, and encouragement. On Monday, March 9, HCC faculty and staff, elected officials, and community members will gather at Hunan Manor Restaurant from 5–8 p.m. to celebrate the impact of the program over the past two decades at the 21st annual Silas Craft Collegians Dinner.

The celebratory event will once again be hosted by Hunan Manor Restaurant in Columbia, located at 7091 Deepage Drive, as it has been since its inception. Attendees will enjoy a buffet-style meal and a series of inspirational presentations by those who have guided and been impacted by the growth of the Silas Craft Collegians Program over the years.

“This program has made such a tremendous positive impact on so many lives,” said Barb Van Winkle, member of the HCC Educational Foundation board of directors who has also served as committee chair for the dinner for the past seven years. “It has given our students critically important resources that have helped them see their potential not only as students, but also as part of the next generation of successful professionals.”

The Silas Craft Collegians Program was created in honor of Silas Craft, whose work as a civil rights leader and educational pioneer created new opportunities for students in Howard County in the 1940s. It embraces Craft’s dedication to making education a reality for all – encouraging high school students to adopt new perspectives on education, and to have the courage to pursue it. It also provides collegians with financial support through a scholarship. His widow, Dorothy, age 97, will be in attendance at the event, as she has been every year since the event was first introduced.

“The Silas Craft Collegians Program was exactly what I needed to get on track, stay on track, and be successful as a college student,” said Jayden Thornton, a Silas Craft Collegian currently studying at HCC. “It’s broadened my horizons and made me think about my future in a new way. The program has made all the difference in the world for me.”

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the annual dinner will benefit the Silas Craft Collegians Program, including its associated endowment and program fund. Profits are generated through ticket sales as well as Craft Contributor and Silas Supporter sponsorships, available at the $2,500 and $1,000 levels, respectively.

Tickets are $45 per person and include dinner, dessert, beverages, tax and gratuities. Tickets are offered to students and children under ten at a discounted rate of $15. To learn more, purchase tickets, or make a financial contribution in support of the Silas Craft Collegians Program, visit howardcc.edu/sccathunan.

This press release was produced by Howard Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.