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Central Carolina Community College wrapped up its 50th Anniversary celebration with a Golden Gala June 28 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. The event focused on the college's students and graduates, who planned the event and provided the refreshments and entertainment. Theater students and graduates presented a hilarious, tune-filled 'Send Up' of the college's five-decade history. For the finale, the performers did a 'rack card' celebration dance, singing and tossing into the audience rack cards describing the college's many programs. 'Send Up' ensemble members were (from left) Drew Lasater, of Pittsboro; Emily Thigpen and Arianna Tysinger (back), of Sanford; Susie Whorley and Adam Brill, of Chapel Hill; Layton Sheppard, of Sanford; and Josh Davis, of Pittsboro.

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Central Carolina Community College wrapped up its 50th Anniversary celebration with a Golden Gala June 28 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. The event focused on the college's students and graduates, who planned the event and provided the refreshments and entertainment. Theater students and graduates performed a hilarious, tune-filled 'Send Up' of the college's five-decade history. Among the numbers performed, a barbershop quartet sang in four-part harmony to commemorate the change in 1988 to a four-'C' name: Central Carolina Community College.

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The puzzlement of Central Carolina Community College students at the dawn of the computer age and the purpose of the mouse each holds is depicted in one of the skits in the hilarious 'Send Up' of CCCC history at the college's 50th Anniversary Golden Gala June 28 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. The event focused on the college's students and graduates, who planned the event and provided the refreshments and entertainment. Those performing the skit included (from left) graduates Drew Lasater, of Pittsboro, and Arianna Tysinger, of Sanford; community member Adam Brill, of Chapel Hill; and graduates Emily Thigpen, of Sanford, and Susie Whorley, of Chapel Hill.

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Rachel Burton, of Chatham County, 2001 graduate of Central Carolina Community College, and co-founder and director of research for Piedmont Biofuels, was one of three graduates honored with the college's inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award at its 50th Anniversary Golden Gala June 28 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. All three were honored for their contributions to the college and/or community that have impact the lives of many for good. The others honored were Sheriff Tracy Carter, of Lee County, 1987 graduate and Lee County sheriff, and Dr. Anthony Harrington, of Harnett County, 1977 and 1983 graduate, CCCC lead history instructor.

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Sheriff Tracy Carter, of Lee County, 1987 graduate of Central Carolina Community College, was one of three graduates honored with the college's inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award at its 50th Anniversary Golden Gala June 28 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. All three were honored for their contributions to the college and/or community that have impact the lives of many for good. The others honored were Rachel Burton, of Chatham County, 2001 graduate and co-founder and director of research for Piedmont Biofuels, and Dr. Anthony Harrington, of Harnett County, 1977 and 1983 graduate, CCCC lead history instructor.

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Dr. Anthony Harrington, of Harnett County, 1977 and 1983 graduate of Central Carolina Community College and the college's lead history instructor, was one of three graduates honored with the college's inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award at its 50th Anniversary Golden Gala June 28 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. All three were honored for their contributions to the college and/or community that have impact the lives of many for good. The others honored were Rachel Burton, of Chatham County, 2001 graduate and co-founder and director of research for Piedmont Biofuels, and Sheriff Tracy Carter, of Lee County, 1987 graduate and Lee County sheriff.

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Central Carolina Community College wrapped up its 50th Anniversary celebration with a Golden Gala June 28 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. The event focused on the college's students and graduates, who planned the event and provided the refreshments and entertainment. Among the Natural Chef Culinary Arts program students preparing the food for the event were (from back left) Veronica Vanca, of Pittsboro; Jill Holmquist, of Chapel Hill; Denice Sharp, of Durham; Emily Bettis, of Chapel Hill; and Stephen Loelius, of Sanford.

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Central Carolina Community College wrapped up its 50th Anniversary celebration with a Golden Gala June 28 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. The event focused on the college's students and graduates, who planned the event and provided the refreshments and entertainment. The celebration culminated with the unveiling of CCCC's new logo: four stylized 'Cs' symbolizing the college's forward momentum in excellence.

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Central Carolina Community College President Bud Marchant (left) holds a time capsule created for the college's 50th anniversary at its June 28 Golden Gala at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. The college, then called the Lee County Industrial Education Center, offered its first class in the summer of 1961. Avron Upchurch (right), started working at the college in 1962 and retired in 1994 as executive vice president/chief academic officer. Representing the college's past, Upchurch presented the time capsule to two children, Grace (center right) and Mollie Walker, symbolizing the next generation to carry on the mission of the college to empower people through education and training.