Elyria Catholic online fundraiser exceeds goal

Elyria Catholic High School exceeded expectations during its first one-day Online Giving Day fundraiser and celebration.

Alumni, friends and family of the school helped raise $28,132.

The goal was $7,000 and the proceeds will help kick start the school’s 2018-19 Operations Fund, according to Annie Cunningham, director of communications and marketing at Elyria Catholic.

As part of Giving Day, Elyria Catholic celebrated its first day back at school Aug. 29 and its 70th anniversary in Catholic education.

Donations were accepted from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through the school’s website or by phone.

“The (Elyria Catholic) community really stepped up,” said Michelle Hoffman, director of advancement at Elyria Catholic. “The Class of 1957 agreed to match the first $7,000 donated, and Ridge Tool (of Elyria) donated a corporate gift of $5,000.

“The community support bought in about $15,000. It was a very exciting first day here, and the students were ready to be back.”

Hoffman helped create the online event alongside staff.

“We didn’t really know what was going to happen,” she said. “We had a modest goal of $7,000 and were shocked, surprised and really happy with the outcome.

“I’ve only been here for over a year, and in that time, I found that if we engage the (Elyria Catholic) community, they are definitely willing to step up and support the kids.”

The community was able to see updates of students and staff during the commemoration through photos and videos created by the student-run Panther Pride Productions group.

The videos were posted on the school’s Facebook page.

Hoffman said donors were able to engage online on Giving Day as staff and students expressed gratitude for their contributions and what those funds would go toward.

The annual Operations Fund contributes to bridging the gap between student tuition and the true cost to educate a student, she said.

“We are making significant investments in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) equipment and tools for our new chemistry lab and a creator space for future engineering students,” Hoffman said.

The funds can contribute toward these new additions and create more opportunities for students, she said.

Elyria Catholic also is looking toward developing a robotics team and making “significant investments” in modular classroom furniture that allows collaborative learning between students, Hoffman said.

Kelsie Stites, director of alumni relations, said the contributions made to the students are larger than some fundraisers, but the support is no surprise.

Stites also assisted in creating Online Giving Day.

“We came together and showed Lorain County what this community can do for the county as a whole,” she said. “When I started at (Elyria Catholic), I was new to the area.

“One of the first things I noticed is that (Elyria Catholic) is a family. It’s a community that comes together when the parents, alumni, students and teachers talk about it being home.

“Yesterday, students were saying it’s their second home.”

Stites said the first day of school overwhelmingly went well and staff was humbled by the support that helped kick-off the school’s 70th anniversary.

Students and staff are taking the time to thank their donors individually for their help by sending personalized videos through email, she said.

“The students were excited to see that the community was giving back and were happy to give thanks,” Stites said.

“The (Elyria Catholic) community really stepped up. The Class of 1957 agreed to match the first $7,000 donated, and Ridge Tool (of Elyria) donated a corporate gift of $5,000.”

— Michelle Hoffman, director of advancement at Elyria Catholic