The four all-girl Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Louisville have teamed up for a joint alumnae fundraising challenge called #RivalsUnited4Girls.
Assumption High School, 2170 Tyler Lane; Mercy Academy, 5801 Fegenbush Lane; Presentation Academy, 861 S. Fourth St.; and Sacred Heart Academy, 3175 Lexington Road, have jointly called on their alumnae to give back to their alma mater this month.
The challenge began March 14 and will conclude March 30 at midnight. During this time frame, alumnae of each school are encouraged to financially support their school’s annual fund.
Each school’s annual fund is the “lifeblood of a school,” according to a joint news release from the four schools. The annual fund supports the operational budget and helps bridge the gap between tuition and what it actually costs to educate a student, the release said.
Organizers also hope the challenge raises “awareness of providing young women with the best education possible.”
Martha Pfaadt Tedesco, principal and 1990 graduate of Assumption, said she has faith in her fellow Catholic school alumnae to “reflect on their own experiences and do whatever they can to continue the great tradition of educating young women in the Catholic community of Louisville.”
Sacred Heart Academy Principal Mary Lee McCoy said the education students receive from a Catholic high school amounts to more than a diploma.
“Within a supportive, challenging and innovative school environment, young women truly find themselves, academically, socially and spiritually,” she said. “Students develop skills that will be demanded of them in an increasingly competitive world.”
Organizers of the campaign said the challenge also will provide schools and their alumnae “the chance to foster closer relationships between the institutions for the betterment of all,” beyond the competition.
Joetta Carpenter Davis, a 1973 Presentation alumna, noted in the release that research studies on women and philanthropy indicate “women value collaboration over competition and connection over recognition.”
“May this friendly competition provide us an opportunity for closer collaboration and connection with one another,” she said.
Mercy Academy senior Hannah Figg said that working together with the other girls’ schools highlights the importance of communication and collaboration.
“It shows that regardless of what school one may come from, all girls are striving to be the best that they can be and we should support them,” Figg said.
The school with the highest alumnae participation percentage at the end of the challenge will be awarded a “Golden Piggy Bank” and will win bragging rights.
A video highlighting the campaign can be viewed at https://youtu.be/AM2BiWvdfjI. Follow the schools’ Twitter accounts: @AHSRockets, @MercyAcademyJag, @Pres_Academy and @shalouisville and Facebook pages for links to donate and campaign updates.
The Sisters of Mercy founded both Assumption (in 1955) and Mercy (in 1885). Presentation — Louisville’s first Catholic high school — was founded in 1831 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Sacred Heart was founded in 1877 by the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville.
