The following is a letter from Rev. James R. Van Dyke, S.J., president of Georgetown Preparatory School, to the School community on Monday, July 22, 2019.
Dear Members of the Georgetown Prep Community,
It is with great appreciation and gratitude that I announce the results from the 2018-2019 Georgetown Prep Annual Fund. Thanks to the 2,762 generous alumni, members of the Board of Trustees, current and past parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the School, we celebrate having generated over $1,911,629 in gifts, a figure that exceeds our goal of $1.87 million.
The annual Spring Gala netted $335,958 that directly supports the young men of Georgetown Prep, plus an additional $110,000 raised for establishment of the Gary Daum Endowed Scholarship which will be presented annually to a deserving Georgetown Prep student who, in addition to academic achievement, demonstrates commitment to and engagement in the fine arts and who might not be able to attend Georgetown Prep for lack of means. I want to thank our Gala chairs, Brian and Carolyn Ridgway '89, P'18, '21, Chet and Candace Thompson '86, P'21, and Dave and Jennifer Whipp P'21. Their tireless efforts and remarkable organizational skills made this Gala a memorable event.
I am especially pleased to report the success of the 1789 Challenge. The Challenge's goal was for 1,789 members of the School community to contribute to this year's Annual Fund during the months of May and June. Like so many times before, our Community answered the Challenge and 1,933 members of the Georgetown Prep community helped us achieve our goal.
Our alumni Annual Fund participation is again over 40%, finishing the year at 44%. Since 2013, our passionate and dedicated alumni have increased their Annual Fund participation from 14% to 44%.The Georgetown Prep parents' contributions remained very strong at 65%. These statistics are remarkable and signify a most generous and engaged community of Georgetown Prep supporters.
Your contributions propel the School forward and ensure Georgetown Prep's success in educating our young men in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition that has been central to John Carroll's Academy for 230 years.
On behalf of all us here at Georgetown Prep, I thank you for your continued support of our nation's oldest Catholic high school and only Jesuit boarding school. I wish you and your family a relaxing and safe summer.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. James R. Van Dyke, S.J.
President