MOSES LAKE - People celebrated Big Bend Community College's 50th anniversary at the ATEC building Saturday evening.

The President's Ball attracted 192 people to the community college. The event is aimed at celebrating the community, which supports the college, said LeAnne Parton, the Big Bend Community College Foundation's executive director. Attendance increased by nearly 80 people this year.

"I think it's the 50th anniversary. It's a huge draw, and then President (Bill) Bonaudi has just announced that he's retiring so it's the President's Ball and it's his last ball," she said.

The event's theme was aimed at celebrating the college's anniversary. They tried to get a lot of people who attended the college, she said.

"We've been celebrating all year," Parton said. "Really, it's just for providing a wonderful evening for the people who have supported us, and we wanted to celebrate our 50th anniversary."

Bonaudi started his remarks by pointing out the recent announcement of his retirement. He appreciated the people wishing him well.

"Tonight is about (the) Big Bend Community College that you created here," he said. "We have 34 community and technical colleges in the State of Washington, and more than half of them were the creation of the legislature. Just a few of us were actually started locally, and Big Bend is certainly one of those."

The president continued, saying the attendees were helping to celebrate the great achievement the community brought forth when the college was created.

"This is a wonderful institution," he said. "I've been privileged in my career to work at five different schools, and they were all really good schools, but I need to tell you, this institution is the heart and soul of our whole central Columbia Basin."

Pamp and Barbara Maiers received credit for the work they did constructing the main entrance to the college.

"This whole evening is about partners," Bonaudi said. "If you've been on campus before, you've spent time out in the gallery. You've seen we have several bronze plaques up that represent really substantial contributions on behalf of our students."

The plaques are not only intended to honor the individual, but to tell people about the donors and provide a perpetual place for community members to come and read about the contributions, he said.

Pamp Maiers said getting the plaque was a surprise.

"We like to have people, who go to school here, to have the opportunity to go to college without having to leave the area," he said. "We just like seeing the college advance, and be a growing institution. My wife and I have always had that interest."

Among the attendees was Mike Lane, who was in the first class to graduate from the college. He sat at the table with five members of his family, who followed him into the college.

He called the college's creation a godsend, as one of nine children in the city, he didn't have much hope at the time of attending college.

"I graduated from Moses Lake High School, and if Big Bend hadn't have been here, I don't know what I would have done," he said. "I couldn't afford to go to the university. I had no money ... The key is that Big Bend gave me the start in college, and eventually I got an engineering degree from Washington State University."

Lane now runs his own company with some technology he and some other people purchased from the Coors Brewing Company.

Throughout the evening several people offered toasts to Bonaudi, pointing out the buildings constructed during his time at the college.

"I hadn't planned to say anything," Bonaudi said. "I appreciate the recognition, but it's all about this community."