The Lake Michigan Catholic School family has a unique opportunity to raise more than three-quarters-of-a-million dollars in the next 40 days thanks to two already generous local families who are anchoring the effort for scholarships and teacher support.
Magnanimous donations from two local families are giving the Lake Michigan Catholic School Fund that opportunity to raise $800,000 for both endowed tuition scholarships and instructional support for teachers. Their gifts are simply the latest in a flood of support demonstrating donor commitment to the school in St. Joseph.
LMC graduate Mary Caryl (DaDan) McEvoy and her husband, Paul, have pledged to match up to $250,000 for endowed student tuition scholarships. Meanwhile, Tony and Jackie Monte, both graduates of LMC, focused their matching gift of up to $150,000 on creating an endowment for instructional support in conjunction with the new Sam and Connie Monte Global Trading and Finance Lab.
The McEvoy and Monte families are calling on their fellow alumni and friends of LMC to give over the next 40 days to maximize their match. MC McEvoy says, “Catholic education, now more than ever, is needed in our community as we move through the response to COVID-19 and the recovery from its impact,” and notes, “Teaching our kids how to respond with an authentic Christian spirit will be the hallmark of a strong Catholic education for decades to come.”
The tuition scholarship endowment from the McEvoy family’s gift will help offset the cost of attendance for LMC students. Lake Michigan Catholic’s enrollment process includes the opportunity for families to apply for tuition scholarships each year. The Monte family’s gift will provide ongoing, top-notch instructional support for teachers in the Global Trading and Finance Lab, which was established through the generosity of Tony’s parents, Sam and Connie Monte.
Sam Monte says, “The Global Trading and Finance Lab is a game changer in all of Southwest Michigan,” suggesting, “Our students need to be prepared to succeed in a fast-paced global economy, which means they need teachers who are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills. I’m proud that my son and his wife are continuing our family legacy of giving to LMC by establishing an endowment to support our dedicated teachers.”
To maximize the matching gifts, the LMC School Fund is launching the “40 Days for Catholic Education” online fundraising campaign. Sarah Jollay, President of the Fund, says, “We are blessed to recognize generous donors like MC and Paul McEvoy and Tony and Jackie Monte,” adding, “They set the pace for all of us who believe in the value of Catholic education – now we’re calling on our loyal alumni and friends to set a new standard for educational support in Southwest Michigan. During ’40 Days of Catholic Education,’ each dollar donated becomes two. When will there be a better time to support our Catholic schools?”
Online giving to the “40 Days of Catholic Education” campaign opens tomorrow, Friday, May 15th and concludes on June 24th – the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist. Contributions can be made at this link: http://lmclakers.org/giving
Lake Michigan Catholic is a private pre-kindergarten through 12th grade Catholic school dedicated to nourishing the human spirit – mind, body and soul – through Jesus Christ. YOu can learn more online at lmclakers.org.
