KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Bishop Ward High School officially announced at its 35th Annual Auction, Table of Plenty, that an anonymous donor couple has pledged a gift of $1 million to the permanent Bishop Ward Endowment Fund.
This surprise announcement was made by President Father Michael Hermes to a standing ovation of hundreds of alumni and friends attending the Annual Auction held at the school, located on 18th St. in Kansas City, Kan.
The auction raised more than $68,000 for the Fund-A-Need project, which was the replacement of original 1931 seats and new carpeting in the Willard L. Phillips Memorial Auditorium.
The auction additionally raised thousands more for the Student Scholarship Fund, which helps cover the full cost of education to ensure a quality, Catholic, college-preparatory education is affordable for all students who desire it.
“We are very grateful to our benefactors for such a wonderful gift to Bishop Ward,” President Father Michael Hermes said. “They made this donation because they are pleased to support Catholic education in Kansas City Kansas and because they agree with the long-term plan to build up the school endowment in order to sustain the future of the school. We are so thankful to them and to God for this level of support.”
The vision for the Bishop Ward endowment is to reach $25 million by the year 2020.
This commitment, combined with other cash, pledges and planned gifts from alumni and friends, brings total endowment support to nearly $10 million.
The Bishop Ward Endowment Fund is managed by the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas and is vital to the future of providing Catholic, college-preparatory education in Wyandotte County.
The Bishop Ward Endowment Fund is invested and only the interest earnings are used to fund the school’s annual operations. This allows gifts given to the permanent endowment fund to provide income to the school for years to come.
