Celebrating 110 years of service to our community
Over the years, innumerable theater productions, musical performances and dance numbers have graced the stage of the Citrus College Haugh Performing Arts Center. Now, a new chapter has been added to the venue's rich history.
On March 22, more than 150 friends, supporters and employees of the college gathered on the Haugh stage for "The Magic of Citrus," a gala celebrating the college's 110th anniversary.
This first celebration of the year was designed to benefit students by raising funds for life-changing scholarship opportunities, supporting critical campus programs and enhancing the Citrus College experience for years to come.
The festivities included a delicious dinner, performances by award-winning magicians Dr. Dale Salwak, Jeffrey Thompson and Robert Ramirez and musical numbers from performing arts students. Mark L. Walberg, current host of "Temptation Island" on Netflix, served as emcee.
"An anniversary is always momentous, and we were thrilled to welcome so many key community members to our campus for this very special occasion," said Dr. Greg Schulz, superintendent/president of Citrus College. "Their generous support of our college and this gala will enable us to provide scholarship assistance for our students, innovation grants to enrich educational experiences and support for faculty and staff development."
The event opened with a welcome from Superintendent/President Schulz, followed by remarks from Dr. Cheryl Alexander, president of the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees, and Carlos Ramos, president of the Citrus College Foundation Board of Directors.
In addition, a representative from Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger's office presented the college with a scroll of celebration.
Live and silent auctions were also among the evening's highlights.
"Guests seemed to have a lot of fun with the live auction in particular," said Christina M. Garcia, director of the Citrus College Foundation. "Some of the items auctioned off included a Los Angeles Dodgers game package, tickets to the Magic Castle, a four-course meal at the Kellogg House and an evening at Rubel Castle."
Although event organizers are still calculating the total funds raised, preliminary reports are positive.
"In addition to our auctions and ticket sales, we had nearly 20 different corporate sponsors and funding partners," Garcia said. "Every sponsorship, ticket purchased and auction item sold is an investment in the future of Citrus College."
This article originally appeared in the April 2025 edition of the Citrus View.