Saint Martin's University raises nearly $180,000 for scholarships
November 13, 2009
Lacey, Washington — Saint Martin’s University raised
nearly $180,000 at its annual President’s Gala, which was held at the
Great Wolf Lodge on Saturday, November 7. This is the largest amount
raised in the event’s four-year history. The President’s Gala is the
University’s major fall fundraising event, with the proceeds going to
student scholarships, including scholarships for academic merit,
athletics, and fine arts talent. The gold sponsors for the gala were
America’s Credit Union (ACU) and Chicago Title. The silver sponsors were
Assend Dragon Aviation, Batteries Plus, Charles Schwab, Lucky Eagle
Casino, Olympia Federal Savings, and Setina Manufacturing Company.
“It is amazing in this economy to see our supporters
step up and really show their willingness to help our students,” said
Dr. Roy Heynderickx, president of Saint Martin’s University.
The event featured dinner, dancing, live music, and
both a silent and live auction. The silent auction included over 100
items and packages up for bid from many local and regional businesses.
The live auction included over thirty specialty items including travel
packages for Mexico and Kauai, as well as a Seattle Seahawks
hotel-stay-and-game package; a Mariners luxury
suite-with-catering-for-twenty; and a private tour-and-lunch at Salumi
restaurant in Seattle with owner Dino Batali, a Saint Martin’s alumnus.
The central live auction item, “Fund a Mind!”, directly raised $38,100
towards scholarships.
Early in the evening, the University also announced
the first recipient for the new America’s Service Heroes Scholarship,
1SG John Blue. Sgt. Blue currently serves as Commandant of the Fort
Lewis Warrior Training Academy. During his second deployment to Iraq in
January 2007, he was injured by an explosively formed projectile
resulting in the loss of his right leg below the knee. During his time
at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, Blue realized the importance of
a post-secondary education. He is pursuing a degree in business
administration through Saint Martin's University. The America’s Service
Heroes Scholarship rewards uniformed men and women and their family for
their dedication as they serve our nation. Major funding of this
scholarship is provided by a generous donation from ACU with additional
funding provided by Saint Martin’s Board of Trustee Dr. Richard Hecker.
During the event, student president Ahmadou Seck and
sophomore Melissa Muñoz Flores also shared stories of how scholarships
were crucial in their own pursuit of a higher education. Flores
expressed her thanks to the many people who gave their time and effort
and donations to help students achieve their dreams: “It truly means all
the world to us.”
For more information about the President’s Gala and
other fundraising events, please contact Deidre Eaton at 360-486-8885 or
specialevents@stmartin.edu.
Or visit the event website at
www.stmartin.edu/gala.
Saint Martin’s University is an independent
four-year, Catholic, coeducational university located on a 380-acre
wooded campus in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic
Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 18 Benedictine
colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only
one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares
students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate
programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering.
Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250 students from many ethnic and religious
backgrounds to its main campus, and 650 more to its five extension
campuses located at Fort Lewis Army Post, McChord Air Force Base,
Olympic College, Centralia College, and Tacoma Community College.
For additional information:
Genevieve Canceko Chan
Director of Communications & Marketing
Saint Martin’s University
360-438-4332
gchan@stmartin.edu
www.stmartin.edu