PITTSBORO - Central Carolina Community College is green and growing in Chatham County. On Saturday, April 28, everyone is invited to come to the Chatham County Campus and celebrate the college's 50th anniversary year as well as learn about and enjoy the campus's many sustainable programs and features.

The day kicks off at the campus, 764 West St., Pittsboro, with a flag raising by a color guard at 7:45 a.m. A 5K race starts at 8 a.m. and a Kids' Fun Run, at 9 a.m. Other events start at 9 a.m. and run until approximately 1:30 p.m. Admission and activities are free, except for the food vendors, 5K Rabbit Run and Children's Fun Run registration, and an afternoon Comedy Dinner Theatre.

For a full events schedule, as well as registration for the races, go to www.cccc.edu/50years/events. Information about the races is also available by calling CCCC Foundation Associate Director Emily Hare at (919) 718-7230 or email at ehare@cccc.edu.

CCCC offered its first classes in 1961 in Sanford as the Lee County Industrial Education Center. In 1964, it expanded into Chatham County and, in 1965, into Harnett County. After several name changes and expansions of educational offerings, the institution became known as Central Carolina Community College in 1988.

The college is nicknamed "Green Central" for its commitment to sustainable education and construction as well as for working to create a culture of sustainability. This is particularly evident at its Chatham facilities.

Community interest in sustainability in Chatham County has resulted in many CCCC green programs and new, environmentally friendly buildings in Chatham. The college led the nation when it began offering an Associate in Applied Science in Sustainable Agriculture in 2002. It has since added degree programs in biofuels, sustainability technologies, and culinary arts. It also offers continuing education programs in green building/renewable energy, vegetable growing, photovoltaics, and ecotourism.

"Community support for sustainability at the college has helped establish Chatham County as a key player in the sustainability movement," said Dr. Karen Allen, CCCC Chatham provost. "CCCC is ahead of the curve in sustainability programs - we're well positioned to take the lead in workforce development in this area."

Visitors to the Chatham Celebration can learn more about the sustainability programs and enjoy hands-on green classes: culinary arts runs 9 a.m.-10 a.m.; agriculture, 10 a.m.-11 a.m., and pottery, 11 a.m.-noon, all in the Sustainable Technology Center. All the classes are free.

The biofuels laboratory will be open for visitors and tours will be given of the sustainable agriculture Student Farm. Students in the Natural Chef culinary arts program will sell hamburgers made from sustainably produced meat from local farms.

Visitors to the Chatham Celebration will also be able to watch green construction students work on the college's newest sustainability project, the Chatham Cottage, a small, affordable, energy efficient home. Construction is taking place behind the Sustainable Technology Center.

At noon, don't miss the guided tour of the cottage, the renewable energy labs, and the campus's newest buildings: the Sustainable Technology Center and the joint county-college Chatham Community Library, with their associated sustainable features. These buildings, as well as the college's Siler City Center, were all built to the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating specifications.

The buildings' green features include energy efficient design and materials, rainwater reuse, on-site wastewater treatment, and window placement to provide indirect lighting to minimize the use of artificial light. Visitors will see the Sustainable Technology Center's vegetative roof as well as solar panels that have been installed on building roofs. The latest green feature at the campus is an electric-powered vehicle recharge station, located behind the Sustainable Technology Center.

"CCCC is proud to be a leader in the field of sustainability education, as well as in demonstrating our commitment through our facilities," said Dr. Bud Marchant, CCCC president. "We look forward to hosting visitors at our Chatham Celebration for a day of fun and a day of learning in many areas, particularly sustainability."

Other activities at the Chatham Celebration include entertainment, health screenings, bone marrow registry, law enforcement demonstrations, barbering and cosmetology services, and more. Chinese calligraphy will be demonstrated. Youngsters will enjoy a bounce house, story telling, face painting, caricatures, a ride in a tethered hot air balloon, and more. The JobLink Career Center will be open during the event to show visitors the services it offers.

The college's 50th Anniversary Chatham Celebration will be topped off by Comedy Dinner Theatre performances at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the Holmes Meeting Room of the Chatham Community Library on the campus. Acting and culinary arts students present this triple treat: a three-course meal and three short comedies.

Seating is limited for the dinner theater and advance ticket purchase is required. Tickets are $16 and are available at www.brownpapertickets.com or at the college's Administration Office on the Chatham Campus.