Nearly $300K Raised to Save Immaculate Conception High School

Since the Archdiocese of Newark announced that Immaculate Conception High School would close on June 30th, the faculty, students, Board of Trustees, parents, and community have pooled their strengths and are fighting to keep the school open. In less than a month, $282,901.00 has been raised through an online fundraising website - http://www.gofundme.com/Keep-IC-Open - and the school is over half way to its fundraising goal of $500,000.  

Heroic efforts - epitomizing our mascot - the IC Lion - are being made on a daily basis by faculty, alumni, parents, students and friends of ICHS. From the beginning of the "Save IC Campaign", the public has been informed about fundraising progress through press releases and social media; updates are posted daily on the school’s Facebook and Twitter pages. There have also been numerous phone-a-thons, old-fashioned handouts to the community advertising fundraisers, and Madrid K. Danner-Smith, Class of 2014, publicized Immaculate’s challenge on Quest Youth Radio.  Parents, students, alumni, faculty, and friends have called the Archdiocese and have asked them to keep the school open and students have written moving letters to the Archdiocese.

Yvette Chisolm, parent of an incoming ICHS junior expressed her sentiments about the efforts being made: “I have been in the IC family for five years now. I have IC graduate and an upcoming junior. I like that IC is a small family where the teachers care about the students. I would love IC to stay open not just for my daughter but for future generations. This is why we are fighting so hard to keep IC open. Our children’s education and 90 years of tradition are most important to us. It’s time to stop just closing schools and time to focus on fighting to keep them open.”

Besides all of the generous donations on the online fundraising site, students, faculty and alumni have organized many fundraisers.  Two recent fundraisers were very successful.  On Saturday, June 28th, a car wash/bake sale was organized by faculty members, Eryn Lewis and Lisa Mlynarski, and ICHS Seniors Akilah Love, Alexa Hart, and Maria Vargas.  Barbara Hughes, Class of 1984 and Tim Fox, Class of 1996, have organized many events to raise money for Immaculate.  One recent event they planned was a Jackals baseball game for friends of Immaculate on Monday, June 30th.  The NJ Jackals generously donated more than 300 tickets toward the cause and all proceeds benefited Immaculate.  On July 4th, students, faculty, and alumni will be representing Immaculate Conception High School in Monclair’s 4th of July parade.

Director of Admissions, Kathy Badillo, also an Immaculate alumna, commented, "I am honored to be a part of such an amazing community. As an alumna, I am so proud of all the alumni who have come together for this cause and we are moving mountains!  Keep it up LIONS!"

Principal Jo Ann Degnan shared her thoughts on the efforts being made: “Our theme for the school year 2013-2014 was IC Possibilities!   All those involved in our SAVE IC campaign have embraced that theme giving time, energy and resources to ensure  possibilities become realities."

Immaculate Conception High School still needs much support to succeed in keeping the school open with a deadline of July 15th to raise $500,000. Donations may be made at http://www.gofundme.com/Keep-IC-Open or by mail: Save Immaculate Appeal, 33 Cottage Place, Montclair, NJ  07042.

===

Immaculate Conception High School, located at 33 Cottage Place in Montclair, NJ, strives, within the context of family, to develop the whole person: morally, intellectually, socially, and physically. Recognizing the worth and uniqueness of each individual, we prepare students for life beyond high school, so that as responsible Christians, they will make a difference in the world of today and tomorrow.  Admission to Immaculate Conception High School is open to young men and women of any background who fulfill our academic requirements. Please call Ms. Kathy Badillo, Director of Admissions, 973-744-7445, ext. 24, or please see our website - www.ichspride.org - for more information.

===

Contact:

Amy B. Popp, MSLIS / Librarian/Technology Teacher/Webmaster/Public Relations / Immaculate Conception High School / Montclair, NJ  07042 abpopp@ichspride.org