Norwalk Catholic announces 2nd annual virtual giving day

Sep. 23—Norwalk Catholic Giving Day officially kicks off the Annual Fund/Friends for the Future campaign that historically raises about $900,000 for the school's operating budget needs. This year, there is a focus on campus safety projects, which will allow the installation of modern technologies, physical enhancements and training modules to help keep students' security at the forefront.

This year, Norwalk Catholic's goal is to at least double the amount raised in 2021. The virtual campaign can be accessed easily and efficiently through the school's website landing page: www.NorwalkCatholic.org.

Giving Day opens for donations beginning at midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 27, and runs for 24 hours, ending at midnight, Wednesday, Sept. 28. Additional mediums to access the virtual event will be available on the Norwalk Catholic/St. Paul High School Facebook and Instagram pages. Because St. Paul is celebrating 100 years as a four-year high school in 2023, a special centennial level of $100 is suggested. However, donors are able to donate any amount that is comfortable for them.

Twenty years ago, Saint Pope John Paul II said to an audience of Catholic educators in New Orleans: "Yours is a great gift to the Church, a great gift to your nation." Countless people in our country have been blessed by the many gifts of Catholic schools. However, many adults have lost touch with their local Catholic school community. It is time for those people who have been impacted by your school to reconnect with the community that gave them so much, and give back.

With this in mind, and inspired by a declaration established by Norwalk Mayor Susan Lesch in 2006 naming Sept. 27 Catholic Schools Day, Norwalk Catholic established the first one-day call for donations last year. Supporters of the school, Catholic education, and the Norwalk non-profit community stepped up to the plate, raising close to $10,000 in a 24-hour period.

What is a Norwalk Catholic Giving Day?

Norwalk Catholic's Giving Day is a 24-hour push for support to bolster the school's annual unrestricted funds that afford our school the opportunity to strengthen a variety of initiatives that directly affect all of our programs each day. Support of the Friends for the Future plays an important role in maintaining Norwalk Catholic's modest annual tuition, which is among the lowest in the state of Ohio.

How to participate in the Day of Giving?

It is easy to participate in Norwalk Catholic's Giving Day on Sept. 27. You may make a secure online gift on the school's website or social media pages. Pre-established levels of donation will make it handy, but you will be free to donate whatever amount that fits into your personal budget. You can make a one-time donation, or break it into sustaining monthly amounts. The school's website is: www.NorwalkCatholic.org and you can friend Norwalk Catholic St. Paul High School on Facebook and Instagram.

Does the school accept gifts by mail?

Yes. To make a gift by mail, simply send a check made payable to Norwalk Catholic.

Norwalk Catholic

Attn: Engagement Director Stephanie Kluding

93 E. Main Street

Norwalk, Ohio 44857

Where does my donation go?

The Annual Fund/Friends for the Future is made up of unrestricted funds that afford the school the opportunity to enhance a variety of initiatives that directly affect all of the school's programs and improvements. Namely, your generosity will benefit Norwalk Catholic in the following ways:

—Technology Enhancements — Technology and classroom resources are enhanced on a regular basis, and the entire student body of 625, Grades K-12 has been assigned Chromebooks on a 1:1 basis.

—Robust Extracurricular Offerings — Students have the ability to participate in a broad range of extracurricular activities, interscholastic activities, and athletic teams, many without any additional cost after tuition.

—Continuous Curriculum Enhancements — Our balanced liberal arts and faith-based curriculum continues to expand to include newly added courses, as well as provide additional opportunities for students to earn college credit.

—Campus Improvement Projects — As our school community, which celebrates 100 years of four-year Catholic high school education in 2023, continually undergoes renewal, renovation and expansion.