LAKE MICHIGAN CATHOLIC RAISES $800,000 FOR ENDOWMENTS

ST. JOSEPH, MI: Anchored by matching gifts from two local families, the Lake Michigan Catholic School Fund has raised $800,000 for endowments to provide tuition scholarships and instructional support for teachers.

In May, LMC graduate Mary Caryl (DaDan) McEvoy and her husband, Paul, pledged to match up to $250,000 for endowed student tuition scholarships. 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.

To maximize the matching gifts, the LMC School Fund launched the “40 Days for Catholic Education” online fundraising campaign earlier this year. The campaign was originally set to conclude on June 24 – the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist – but ongoing donor enthusiasm prompted LMC to extend the initiative.

“Alumni continued to call and express their support,” says Nadia Bucholtz, Director of Advancement for the LMC School Fund. “Everyone agreed that as long as donors continued stepping forward, we would keep accepting donations to maximize the match from the McEvoy and Monte families.”

The funds from this campaign will be divided into two endowments. The MC DaDan/McEvoy Tuition Scholarship Endowment Fund will be established with $500,000 for student tuition scholarships, which will help offset the cost of attendance for LMC students through an annual application process. The Tony and Jackie Monte Financial Lab Teaching Endowment will be established with $300,000 and will provide ongoing, top-notch instructional support for teachers in the Global Trading and Finance Lab. Additional donations to both funds can be made at any time by visiting https://www.lmcadvancement.org/donate.

“These endowments are extremely valuable for the long-term health of the schools,” explains Bucholtz. “The money we raised in this campaign won’t be spent right away. Instead, it will be invested and given the opportunity to grow. Each year, for many years to come, the Fund will be able disperse a set amount to LMC to provide student tuition scholarships and instructional support for the Monte Lab, thanks to the generosity of today’s donors.”

“Our alumni and donors have expressed their belief in the value of Catholic education through their generous, sacrificial giving,” says Sarah Jollay, President of the LMC School Fund. “Every single gift means we can make an LMC education even more accessible and provide a more robust experience for our students. On behalf of the Fund, thank you to everyone who donated to the campaign.”

Lake Michigan Catholic is a private pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade Catholic school dedicated to nourishing the human spirit – mind, body and soul – through Jesus Christ.

	Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School Downtown Campus Grades 6th - 12th Grade 915 Pleasant Street St. Joseph, MI 49085 Phone: 269-983-2511 Fax: 269-983-0883		Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School South Campus Grades PS - 5th Grade 3165 Washington Avenue St. Joseph, MI 49085 Phone: 269-429-0227 Fax: 269-429-1461		"Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rooted in Sacred Scripture and centered on the Eucharist, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School embraces the values of Education, Faith and Citizenship.”
	Diocese of Kalamazoo Policy on Non-Discrimination The Schools of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo admit students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the schools. The Schools of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of education policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school administered programs and activities, employment policies or contractual agreements.