Archbishop William E. Lori will be joined by over 700 supporters of Catholic education at the 5th annual Archdiocese of Baltimore Gala Saturday, October 19, at 6 p.m. at the Baltimore Waterfront Marriott. The event is expected to raise $800,000 in tuition assistance for students attending Catholic schools.
Among those to speak at the event are Tavon Whitener, a recent graduate of St. Joseph’s University and alumnus of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Dr. Barbara Edmondson, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, and Archbishop Lori. Mr. Whitener was able to attend Catholic schools because of financial support he received from the Archdiocese’s Partners in Excellence scholarship program, one of the beneficiaries of the gala.
Tony Pann, Meteorologist for WBAL-TV, will emcee the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to “sponsor” students enrolled in a Catholic school by donating funds to offset tuition and other costs, and to bid on a number of silent auction items with proceeds going to scholarships for Catholic school students.
Begun in 2009, the Gala has raised more than $3 million for Catholic school students. Since 1995, the Partners in Excellence scholarship program, which raises money from businesses and philanthropic organizations to provide scholarships to students from low-income families in Baltimore City, has provided 23,500 scholarships totaling more than $25 million since its inception.
There are approximately 25,000 students enrolled in 70 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in the 2013-14 school year. Last month, three Catholic schools in the Archdiocese were named national Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education.