Corpus Christi School fundraising event raises spirit, character, as well as money
Corpus Christi School of Hasbrouck Heights recently entered its third year in partnership with Boosterthon to fundraise for the school.
The school’s goal this year was to raise $10,000 for the new Corpus Christi School Drama Club and their 2024 spring musical. The school raised a little over $38,000 in donations and earned over $26,000 in funds. Money raised for the event is a divided 70/30 split between the school and the Boosterthon.
“Financially we did terrific,” Corpus Christi School Principal, Jason Feliciano, said.
Feliciano, who is in his fifth year as principal, introduced the Boosterthon fundraiser to the school. An 11-day event, registration was held on Sept. 27, and Kick Off Day, when classroom lessons and tracking of donations began, was Oct. 11. Event Day, which includes a Fun Run walk of three laps around the school, was scheduled for Friday, Oct. 20.
“Nowadays, Catholic schools are really looking to find ways to raise money for their schools that are fun, engaging, and appeal to the academic and spiritual values of its students,” Feliciano said. “For Corpus Christi School, Boosterthon has really provided that opportunity.”
He added, “For me personally, my major goals are always the same. How do we make the school safe? How do we enhance academics? How do we make it fun for the kids when looking for fundraisers?”
He found all the above in Boosterthon, and the fundraising company and platform also found him. Corpus Christi School was approached during the summer of 2021 by Boosterthon to do a fall fundraiser. When Feliciano learned that he knew someone who had worked for and praised the company, it encouraged involvement, as did the message of the program.
That first year, a total of $30,000 was raised, with the school getting $21,000. Corpus Christi School takes 70% of the raised funds, and Boosterthon gets 30%. Tabulations and collecting of funds, and updates via the www.choosebooster.com website, are all taken care of by the company.
Feliciano said, “We thought it was fantastic that first year, and so we’ve been doing it ever since.”
With those first-year funds, the school bought toys for recess and learning tables for outside the preschool, and air hockey and cornhole games for the upper grades. Funds were also used for fun assemblies. In 2022, the school received $18,000 of the $27,000 raised, and desired to enhance the gymnasium floors for the preschool and upper-grade auditoriums. Feliciano said of both, “They were a little outdated, and so all the money went to that. Our families are really excited about how beautiful both of our new gymnasium floors look. We did it over the summer.”
Boosterthon, which technically begins when the school informs parents about the fundraiser prior to Kick Off Day, asks that they help their children register, and explains that donations are accepted daily.
Feliciano explained Boosterthon further. “Each year is a different theme,” he said. “This year’s theme was ‘World Changers Workshop.’ I as the principal read the script that they give me each morning that tells the administration, teachers, and students what the day is about and what the special word of the day is.”
Every class watches a video lesson that is based on a characteristic, and then the class discusses the viewed lesson. The students are guided by separate episodes through the 11-day event to become “World Changers.” Episodes include “Find a Need!” (something in the world that you think needs assistance), “Write a Plan!” (get steps down on paper), “Rally a Team!” (invite others into your plan and multiply the effort), “Launch it Now!” (trust in and get your plan started), and “Grit it Out!”
Feliciano said of the last step, “If there is a difficult day, we do not just give up. We keep working towards the goal.”
And there is a spiritual, Catholic purpose to it. Feliciano added, “It’s designed so that every day goes towards a characteristic or behavior that you would like to see out of your young people.”
Posters are also hung up around the school that coincide with the lesson, and each grade is represented by a certain name and color.
Feliciano continued. “At the end of every day, Boosterthon will tally how much each student, class, and grade raised, and keeps track of where the donations come from. Based on that, there are prizes [examples are toys] that go home the next day to each student based on how much they raised that day. There are also class contests, where the grade that raised the most money that day will receive a reward.” Feliciano said, “We tell them they can grant a homework pass, or a free dress-down day for a pizza party or an extra recess.”
The end of Boosterthon on Oct. 20 was, unfortunately, met with continuous rainfall, but it dampened no spirits. “We did it inside,” Feliciano said. “The preschool walked in the preschool gym and our big school walked in their gym. We used music, cones, and sheets to keep track of our laps. It was a great time.”
Feliciano, who is a product of a Catholic school education and has served in teaching and administration for 15 years, is proud of Corpus Christi School’s Boosterthon achievement, but most proud of the progress the school itself has made and continues to make.
“It is a team effort. And we have been very fortunate that, in the last four years with COVID-19 and with the economy, our schools are continuing to grow,” he said. “Our parents seem genuinely happy, our children are enjoying it, and we are giving ourselves an opportunity to continue to grow.”
“Being here,” Feliciano added happily, “is a grace.”
Featured image: “Fun Run” times as Corpus Christi School completes a third successful Boosterthon. (Jason Feliciano Corpus Christ School)
