Challenges support The Fund for Belen
This article first appeared in the Belen Jesuit Alumni Magazine, Summer 2021 edition.
Sparked by a desire to garner support for The Fund for Belen and to grow alumni and parent participation, three challenges were held during the 2020-2021 school year. The Tombola and the May Mania Decades Challenges were geared towards alumni and the Tombola Parent Challenge focused on current parents.
The Alumni Tombola Challenge kicked off on December 2, 2020, and came to a close on December 31st. “We know that our alumni are all in and bleed blue and gold,” said Director of Giving Jorge Pérez-Alvarez ‘76. “But, given that we are in the midst of a pandemic, our expectations were tempered. I’m happy to report that, not only did our alumni participate in droves, they also gave generously.”
The friendly gift-giving competition received nearly 400 more gifts than last year representing a 62% increase in participation over the 2019 Tombola Challenge.
The winners of the Tombola Challenge by category:
Top 3 Classes for Giving:
1991 - $48,506
1994 - $37,422
1976 - $31,195
Top 10 Classes for Participation:
1969 - 88.89%
1987 - 87.76%
1986 - 84.78%
1992 - 60.71%
1979 - 58.62%
1976 - 55.88%
1994 - 49.51%
1989 - 46.59%
1996 - 45.54%
1993 - 30.53%
This challenge saw an overall improvement in participation by classes in every decade. Last year we had 16 classes with over 10% participation and this year we had 30. Last year we only had three classes above 40% and this year we had 9.
On April 18, Fr. Willie ‘87 announced the launch of the first-ever Tombola Parent Challenge. This initiative came together as a result of the annual Tombola being canceled in 2021. “Normally, Tombola helps us raise the much-needed funds for the Financial Assistance Program,” said Executive Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations Felipe "Phil" Fernández ‘94. “Since we couldn’t have it, we needed to think of a way to engage our parents and inspire them to give to the school, starting with what they would normally have spent at the festival.”
The Parent Challenge was a tremendous success. Five hundred and seventy-four families participated and raised over $165,000 dollars in 7 days. Together with our presenting Tombola sponsor, the Sarría Family and our other sponsors, the grand total was just over $190,000 for the Fund for Belen. “The winners of the Parent Challenge were the class of 2027 but the real winner was Belen Jesuit,” said Fr. Willie ‘87.
Ending the school year, the Alumni Association rallied the classes and held the May Mania Decades Challenge. The goal was to pin classes from within each decade against one another in competition to see which class had the highest level of giving and participation. The May Mania Decades Challenge ran from May 20 to June 6. The winners of the challenge are the classes of 1956, 1969, 1976, 1987, 1991, 2000, and 2012. Collectively over half a million was donated to The Fund for Belen by alumni this school year.
“It’s been a challenging year but the community has rallied together to support Belen Jesuit,” said Fr. Willie ‘87. “I couldn’t be more proud of our parents and alumni who answered the call and participated in these events to raise much-needed funds for the school.”
Winners of the May Mania Decades Challenge:
2012 - $2,920
2000 - $4,228
1991 - $57,012
1987 - $31,425
1976 - $34,396
1969 - $5,004
1956 - $2,329
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba, by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the school's property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit is situated on a 34-acre site in western Dade County, just minutes away from downtown Miami.