On Friday, April 27, Northern Essex Community College will celebrate 50 years of Making a Difference, with a special event that will bring together alumni, faculty and staff, and members of the community.

Held at DiBurro’s in Haverhill, NECC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration will honor recipients of the college’s Making a Difference Awards, which include graduates, current and retired faculty and staff, and community partners. The event will also feature the Winiker Orchestra—performing music popular over the past 50 years— and a special appearance by NECC student musicians. Billy Costa, the celebrated host of “TV Diner” will conduct a live auction to benefit the college’s NECC Fund.

“The college opened its doors to 116 students at a former elementary school in Bradford fifty years ago,” said President Lane Glenn. “We now have 7400 credit students plus close to 6000 noncredit students, studying at locations across the Merrimack Valley.”

“Fifty years is a major milestone and we’re going to celebrate in style,” continued Glenn. “We expect that three of the four presidents in the history of the college will be in attendance, as well as college faculty and staff, alumni, and members of the community, and, of course, our honored guests, the recipients of our Making a Difference Awards.”

The event will begin with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person.

To reserve tickets, contact Lori Smerdon, Institutional Advancement, at 978 556-3789 or lsmerdon@necc.mass.edu.

The Friday, April 27 50th Anniversary Celebration is part of a series of events celebrating the college’s 50th anniversary. For a full schedule of events, visit the college’s 50th anniversary website at https://www.necc.mass.edu/celebrating-50-years-of-making-a-difference/