$375K pledged for college planetarium renovation

Members of the Ocean County College Foundation and the Ocean County College board of trustees held a meeting last week to announce five leadership gifts for the Reach for the Stars campaign.

Reach for the Stars is a fundraising campaign to support the renovation and renewal of the Novins Planetarium on the college's campus in Toms River.

Stephan Leone, chair of Reach for the Stars, started by saying, "I'm privileged to announce a leadership gift of $100,000 to be donated over five years." Leone and his wife, Judith, will be honored at the OCC Foundation's annual gala on Sept. 8 as the 2007 Humanitarians of the Year.

"But more important are the other gifts from members of the OCC Foundation, OCC board of trustees and the college," Leone said.

Rosanne Citta, OCC Foundation, through the Citta Foundation pledged $100,000. Dave Wintrode, OCC Foundation chair, and his wife, Roberta, pledged $100,000. Harvey York, OCC Foundation, his wife, Barbara, and the law firm of Novins, York, Pentony, and Pagano pledged $50,000. Jon H. Larson, OCC President, and his wife, Judy, pledged $25,000.

According to Leone, the Reach for the Stars campaign needs to raise $1.5 million.

"This puts the campaign well on its way," he said.

Judge Robert Fall, OCC board of trustees, said, "We are trying to marshal the entire community. This is a project that is born of and will rise out of the community."

According to Leone, the "Save the Planetarium Fund," a grassroots campaign, has raised about half of its goal of $100,000. In addition to the community, donations are coming in from the college's full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, administration and staff. The OCC Foundation has pledged the money it raises at its "Evening Under the Stars Gala" on Sept. 8 to the Reach for the Stars campaign.

"All of us are just thrilled to be a part of this campaign," Larson said. "The county will cover the cost of the building reconstruction. This is truly a community-wide effort and it reflects a tremendous amount of support and enthusiasm from the college's faculty and staff, the OCC Board of Trustees, the OCC Foundation and the community."

Also announced at the meeting were the Reach for the Stars naming opportunities. Donors may pledge to name several key areas of the planetarium - $500,000 co-naming of building; $300,000 planetarium theatre; $150,000 planetarium dome; $150,000 star projector; $100,000 planetarium lobby, classroom, outside rear patio, or outside front patio; $50,000 gift shop area, new walkway, theatre sound system, or theatre dome projection; $10,000 outside benches, lobby seating, or inside display cases; and $2,500 theatre seats.

According to Larson, as a member of both the OCC Board of Trustees and the OCC Foundation, Leone has shown "great leadership" by stepping up the campaign and bringing the efforts of the two boards together.

Harvey York, OCC Foundation, added, "Without Steve's leadership, this would never have gotten this far."

The planetarium is scheduled to reopen in September 2008.