SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Psychology and Sociology Club in conjunction with the West Indian and African Club and the Veteran Club hosted its 12th Annual Benefit Dinner on Friday, March 20, 2015 at Daniele’s Banquet in New Hartford. This year’s beneficiary is the Johnson Park Center (JPC), in honor of JPC’s constant commitment to positive change for the past 20 years!

Festivities at the event included a presentation of awards to prominent community leaders, speeches by SUNY Poly students and faculty, a buffet dinner, silent auction, raffle drawing, 50/50 raffle, and magic show. Dr. Stephen Wu, JPC Board Member and Hamilton College professor, performed live music throughout much of the dinner.

Rev. Dr. Scates, D.D. also made a speech, in which she thanked the Mohawk Valley, the Oneida County, the City of Utica and the Johnson Park-Cornhill community for standing alongside her through the years, particularly the children. It was the children who helped her to clean the neighborhood and it was the children who taught her about the trials of the neighborhood – and often it is through the children that we see the triumphs of the neighborhood. Positive change is real and tangible in Cornhill!

Various community businesses and individuals sponsored tickets that allowed many Johnson Park-Cornhill community members to attend the event. Without sponsorship, most of our JPC program participants and neighborhood community residents/volunteers would never have the opportunity to attend such an event. JPC could not be more grateful that the experience could be extended to so many worthy individuals and families.

The Benefit Dinner was just the beginning of a year of events to celebrate JPC’s 20th Year in the Johnson Park-Cornhill neighborhood! Thank you to SUNY Poly students, Dr. Tichenor, Dr. Joseph, and everyone who attended this beautiful and special event!

For more information about JPC visit: www.johnsonparkcenter.org or contact Caitlyn Copfer, JPC Public Relations Coordinator, comdev@johnsonparkcenter.org,(315) 941-0820