GIAC’s Golden Gala

The Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) celebrates its 50th Anniversary at GIAC’s Golden Gala on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 6pm. The gala will be held at Celebrations, located at 2331 Slaterville Rd., Ithaca, NY.

GIAC’s Golden Gala will feature a cocktail hour followed by a sit-down meal, formal program, and musical entertainment. Music will be provided by the NEO Project Band and DJ Double A, so be sure to bring your dancing shoes to slide with GIAC! A silent auction will be held throughout the night with great items from many local businesses. GIAC will honor its past directors, give thanks to its board, staff, and supporters, and highlight special moments from throughout its 50 years of service.

Tickets for the event will be $72 to reflect the year that GIAC was established and can be purchased at giacgala.eventbrite.com through September 30th.

For questions or more information, call (607) 272-3622 or email giacmain@cityofithaca.org.

More about the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC):

Founded in 1972 through a collaboration between the City of Ithaca, the United Way, the Ithaca City School District, and the Social Service League, GIAC was designed to provide multicultural education and recreational programs to youth in the immediate Northside neighborhood. As the organization grew, it expanded to meet the needs of teens, adults, seniors, and families in the greater Ithaca community. Beyond the flagship youth & teen afterschool program, GIAC is home to a robust senior program in which seniors can sign up for monthly activities at free or low cost and experience social outings to improve their quality of life, health, and well-being. Among many other programs, GIAC also hosts the Hospitality Employment Training Program. This program is designed to assist adults with securing permanent employment in the hospitality/customer service field. GIAC operates the Alex Haley Municipal Pool, runs a championship boxing program, organizes the City of Ithaca’s adult and teen summer basketball leagues, and manages a social justice fund. In addition to expanded programming, GIAC has also grown to be a hub for other organizations looking to start-up and collaborate. Both the Multicultural Resource Center and the Drop-In Children’s Center got their start within GIAC’s walls. Many other organizations make use of the space GIAC has to offer for educational forums, community meetings, recreation and educational programs, and small gatherings. GIAC, too, uses their space to gather with the community in preparing for large events centered on equity and justice including the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Breakfast and the Harvest Festival dinner (both physically held at BJM school). Throughout the years, GIAC has been dedicated to serve Ithaca’s “at-risk” community, those who are disenfranchised or discriminated against due to race, identity, ethnicity and socio-economic status. The center’s programs include services dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people we serve; advocating for the rights and needs of youth, families, underrepresented, and disenfranchised populations; providing structured employment training opportunities for at-risk youth and adults; and fighting against oppression and intimidation in our community. GIAC is truly “A Place to Be Me.”