BCAA Gala heralds Spring

It was THE event of the year with over 240 people attending from public servants to alumni, friends, administration, faculty and staff. On April 20, 2013, everyone converged on The Bethwood in Totowa, NJ to drink, dine, dance, enjoy a glamorous tricky tray, and honor three people who have made an impact on the Bloomfield College Community.

Rev. Tony MacNaughton ’64 received the Alumni Hall of Honor Award. Introduced by longtime friend and classmate Tim Hart’64, Tony was described as caring, an enthusiastic learner, and a “person of the highest quality.” Tony’s response was a walk down memory lane, talking about the professors who were great influences on his learning and that Bloomfield College was a great place to learn how to think. He said, “As an added bonus I met my wife at Bloomfield College!”

Patrick Lamy, vice president of student affairs, introduced the recipients of the Trustee Service award, Archie and Lynne Palmer. While Archie was the trustee, Lynne has been very active in helping students pursue their degrees. The Palmers are very generous funding several initiatives to give students the extra benefits to enhance their learning and experiences. In his speech Archie noted, We have been blessed by God and we are thankful to give back.”

Don Manfria ’80 introduced his protégé Christine Crespo ’01. He and BC professor Doug Hedli recruited her to the college. She thanked Athletic Director Sheila Wooten ’85 for stressing academics as well as athletic performance. “No one gets here alone,” she said. “I thank all of you who supported me on my journey.”

A tense half hour ensued while the tricky tray numbers were being called with congratulations all around. The evening wound down eventually with dancing to the musical styling of the Soul Cruisers. An applause of appreciation to all the sponsors of the Gala. For photos of the event, click here.

Next event? Bar-A on Saturday, June 8, 2013.