NORTH ARLINGTON —
Marking the largest-ever gift to the school, Queen of Peace High School received a $250,000 commitment from alumnus Tom Klein ’80, given in honor of the dedicated teachers of QPHS.
The following week, another alum from the class of 1980 — Jeanette Cerna — made a $200,000 pledge, $100,000 of which kicks in when the donations reach $700,000.
Klein’s gift is part of Queen of Peace High School’s $1 million campaign to save the school. His gift is deliberatively structured to support both the school’s immediate needs and long-term success. A majority of the gift – $150,000 – will immediately be applied toward the $1 million campaign once $850,000 has been raised.
The remainder of the gift – $100,000 – will be earmarked to support the school by serving as the foundation for its long-term giving campaign.
Cerna’s gift is two-tiered. Half of it, $100,000, kicks in when other donations (not from Klein) reach $700,000. The other half is similarly earmarked as Klein’s is, for serving the school’s long-term plans
Combined with gifts totaling about $471,624 already raised by nearly 800 individuals and business sponsors in just over three weeks, Klein’s and Cerna’s gifts effectively reduces the campaign’s $1 million goal down to $750,000.
This means that the school must still raise about $279,000 by this Thursday, June 30.
“Tom’s remarkably generous gift boosts our efforts to ensure that Queen of Peace High School continues its 86-year tradition of providing an excellent Catholic education to young men and women,” said the Rev. Mike Donovan, pastor and president of Queen of Peace High School. “His gift is a testament to the impact our great institution has had on thousands of students through the selfless dedication and service of its religious and lay educators. We are immensely grateful to Tom for choosing to honor our past and present teachers in this way.”
These historic gifts are transformative for QPHS.
Making use of naming opportunities recently unveiled by the school, Klein’s gift will manifest on campus in the permanent and tangible recognition of the dedicated teachers of Queen of Peace High School and will help improve programs, scholarships and facilities.
Consistent with the school’s long-term plan, $100,000 of the gift will be the initial contribution to support the school beyond the 2016-17 school year.
“I loved my time at Queen of Peace High School and have tremendous memories due to the friends, faculty and community of the school,” Klein said. “This gift is made in honor of teachers who made a profound difference in my life and the lives of so many others along with the many more who quietly dedicated their careers for a greater purpose. The very identity of our beloved school lies with these special teachers. They are Queen of Peace.”
Launched only 25 days ago, the Save QPHS campaign is a collaborative, grassroots effort among alumni, school administrators, faculty, parents, students and friends of the school to raise $1 million by June 30.
The campaign accepts a number of donation methods, encourages corporate gift matching, recognizes major donors as part of the new QPHS 200 Club, and offers business sponsorship opportunities. Many successful fundraising events have already been held and more are scheduled before month’s end.
President, CEO and a member of the board of directors at Sabre Corp., based in Southlake, Texas, Klein also serves on the Villanova University Board of Trustees.
“As someone who knows the value of a quality Catholic education, I believe in Queen of Peace High School and trust that its new leadership will work hard to advance the school,” Klein said. “I am sure that my positive experience at Queen of Peace is not unique among my fellow alumni. Inspired by its dedicated teaching staff, I am compelled to give back, honor them and contribute to the school’s future so that many more students will have a chance to be educated and formed by them. I encourage all alumni and friends of Queen of Peace High School to do the same and give generously to the Save QPHS campaign.”
For more information on the Save QPHS campaign, including available naming and project opportunities, visit the Queen of Peace High School website at www.qphs.org. Donations to the Save QPHS campaign can be made via the school’s website or at www.gofundme.com/saveqphs, where you can find the campaign’s progress. All donations to the campaign are tax deductible and refundable if the campaign is unsuccessful.
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