Schools

Flushing Academy Raises $50K For New Scholarship Fund

July 12, 2017
The “Recess Choir” from Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Academy-St. Michael’s, Flushing, above, performs at fundraising gala for a new scholarship fund. (Photos courtesy Christian Sullivan)

Diocesan and community leaders, alumni, families and friends of Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Academy (MHRCA)-St. Michael’s, Flushing, raised over $50,000 at a gala marking the school’s 165th anniversary of providing Catholic education in Flushing. The monies will be directed toward a newly established scholarship fund at the academy.

“It was a special evening for our school community,” said Dr. Christian Sullivan, vice chair of the academy board of directors.

“We were able to honor individuals like Sister Miriam Blake, C.S.J., Mr. Norman Leo and Msgr. [Edward] Wetterer who were responsible for past accomplishments, as well as those who are doing great things now, like Ms. Mary Godfrey, Vice President of Patient Flow Management for New York-Presbyterian Queens and Mr. Walter Avelin, past student and Law Enforcement Liaison and Government Affairs for Macy’s, Inc.”

Linda Schmidt, Emmy Award-winning reporter for Fox 5 News, served as mistress of ceremonies for the gale, held at the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel.
Congratulatory remarks were offered by Councilman Peter Koo, District 20, and the New York Bankers’ Association; and testimonials were shared by alumni Steve LoCascio ’70 and Brian Mejia ’11, a recent Harvard University graduate. The 170 guests were treated to a choral performance by the school’s “recess choir,” named for the time of day that students practice.

The fundraising gala for Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Academy-St. Michael’s, Flushing, honored individuals, past and present, who have made significant contributions to the success of the school community. (click photo to enlarge)

MHRCA-St. Michael’s currently educates 200 students from kindergarten through eighth grade in the fast-growing community of Flushing. The board of directors and administration are working to boost enrollment and offer financial assistance to local families interested in a Catholic education.

“We raised this $50,000 to provide both financial aid and merit scholarships to attract more families to the high-quality Catholic education being offered at MHRCA-St. Michael’s,” said Veronica Tsang, who serves as chair of the school’s board of directors. “Our dual-language Chinese immersion program is one of a kind in New York State, and more students should be taking advantage of this unique opportunity.”