In the theme of arts, music and the unexpected, President Alexander Gonzalez announced nearly $5 million in new gifts to the university during the second annual Green & Gold Gala, which took place Friday evening in the University Union.

The largest donation, Gonzalez said, was a $3 million anonymous donation for undergraduate scholarships, awards and programs at Sacramento State.

The Bernard Osher Foundation endowed $1 million to provide scholarships for 20 re-entry students; $400,000 came from Paul and Renee Snider for program planning for a new museum of natural history; $150,000 was committed from the RCA Community Fund of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to establish a new scholar in ethics and $150,000 was from Vision Service Plan for the Broad Athletic Facility.

In recognition, a field house meeting room will be named for Roger Valine, outgoing Vision Service Plan president and CEO, he said.

The Union, decorated with art and tea light candles, was transformed from its regular role of a student hangout to an elegant black-tie dinner party complete with live music, dancers and an acrobatic balancing act.

The ballrooms were adorned with large vases of fern plants and lit with candles and white lanterns.

The purpose of the event was to invite community members and the university’s friends to celebrate and recognize people who made generous donations to benefit the university, said Craig Perez, stewardship officer of University Advancement.

With about 550 people in attendance, the guest list ranged from ASI members to Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo.

News 10 anchorwoman and Sac State alumna Christina Mendonsa served for the second year as mistress of ceremonies with Sac State alumnus and West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon.The university generated more than $16 million in philanthropic productivity this year ?” doubling last year’s $7 million, according to the Honor Roll of Donors, a booklet included in gift bags for guests.

There are two types of gifts, Perez said. Sponsors are usually corporations that donate money and receive advertising space in return. Individual donors usually don’t get much more than family recognition or the satisfaction of being able to provide scholarships for specific departments.

The gala celebrated Sac State’s 60th year anniversary and highlighted Eli and Edythe Broad’s $2 million gift to the university to help build the new Broad Athletic Facility.

“Tonight is really a celebration of not only Mr. Broad’s gift but a celebration of so much support from the community,” University Advancement Vice President Carole Hayashino said. “We’re very lucky.”

To honor Broad’s contribution to the university, a video with a brief history of Broad’s achievements and dedication to education was shown to the audience.

“Eli has called the education the great equalizer and the very foundation of successful life,” Senator Barbara Boxer said in the video. “Not only do he and Edythe believe in that principle, but they live it every single day by being so supportive of institutions like Sacramento State.”

After a standing ovation, Gonzalez presented Broad with a placard and gift of appreciation on stage.

“Philanthropy is very satisfying, but it’s also a lot of hard work,” Broad said. “People think giving away money is easy, but that’s not what we do. We see ourselves as venture philanthropists who like to make investments and look for return in investments.”

The returns could come in the form of scientific research, improvement in urban school districts and improvement in universities like Sac State, Broad said.

The dinner, which cost $200 per plate, was just as much of a fundraiser as a celebration, Perez said.

The goal is to put on the event and not have to spend too much money so that all the proceeds can go toward scholarships.

“This is what it takes for our university to get the extra support it needs to deliver great education opportunity and great economic prosperity for the region,” Cabaldon said.

Mary Chou can be reached at [email protected]