Focusing on campus-community initiatives led by Cornell students, the 8th annual Cornell Town-Gown Awards (The TOGOs) will be held Dec. 8, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., in Kulp Auditorium, Ithaca High School.

The TOGOs are free, open to all, informal, celebratory and fun, highlighting notable town-gown partnerships and recognizing community members retiring from high-profile elected or appointed positions. Cornell President Martha E. Pollack, Ithaca City School District Superintendent Luvelle Brown and Beth Bagwell, executive director of the International Town-Gown Association, will give remarks. Cornell student leadership will share their fundraising efforts for the Stewart Park Inclusive Playground project, and community members will describe town-gown partnerships that have made a difference in Tompkins County.

Town-gown partnerships that will be recognized this year include:

• Engineering and other undergraduate students involved in Cornell Sustainable Design partnering with Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit.
• Students from the College of Veterinary Medicine partnering with Southside Community Center to offer a monthly walk-in Southside Healthy Pet Clinic.
• A countywide task force assessing emergency systems throughout Tompkins County with the help of Cornell Institute of Public Affairs students studying long-term sustainability for the county’s emergency medical services.

From 9:30 to 10 a.m., Cornell Meinig National Scholars will distribute information about the Stewart Park Inclusive Playground Project and accept donations. The TOGOs program will begin at 10 a.m.

For more information about the 2018 Cornell Town-Gown Awards, visit the website featuring past TOGOs or contact Cornell’s Office of Community Relations, 255-4347 or email gjs28@cornell.edu