SFIC raises $114K, celebrates Irish American leaders at special breakfast
The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children (SFIC) celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early while raising $114,214 for its partial tuition assistance scholarships — which benefit underprivileged students attending Archdiocese of Newark Catholic schools — during its second annual Irish American Leadership Breakfast on March 8.
Karen Clark, the executive director of the Archdiocese’s Department for the Protection of the Faithful, and John P. Callahan, a longtime SFIC board member, received awards for their commitment to helping children.
Nearly 120 attendees packed the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center’s auditorium in Newark to dine on a feast of cultural delicacies, including soda bread, Irish butter, and blood sausage. While eating, the guests enjoyed music from bagpiper Kevin Kavanaugh and fiddler Tiffany Weiss of 7th House Strings. Members of the Emerald Isle Academy of Dance also performed a lively stepdance that got the audience clapping and dancing in their seats.
It all culminated in recognition of two proud Irish Americans — Clark and Callahan — for their longtime commitment to helping children. When accepting her award, Clark reflected on St. Patrick’s ministry before commending the fund’s own mission. Callahan used his speech to pay tribute to his parents, two Irish immigrants who showed him the value of hard work and determination. Using the lessons they taught him, Callahan rose above his humble beginnings to achieve success as the managing director of Merrion Investment Management, which he now pays forward as the SFIC’s endowment chair.
“Karen and John are two unsung heroes for all they do to improve children’s lives, so we were happy to honor them,” said Dr. Michelle L. Hartman, the SFIC’s chief executive officer, who pointed out that some event attendees traveled from as far as Wyoming to see Clark and Callahan acknowledged. “It was a special moment because they truly deserved to be recognized. And I know everyone enjoyed the food and entertainment. A lot of us are not Irish, but we all were that day!”
The SFIC will next hold its annual gala on May 8 in West Orange’s Pleasantdale Chateau. It is also planning its yearly Family Fun Day, which gives scholarship recipients the opportunity to enjoy a free day at West Orange’s Turtle Back Zoo. For more information on the SFIC and its activities, visit www.sficnj.org.
Photos by the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children/Neil Van Niekerk
Featured image: Karen Clark receives an award for her commitment to helping children. (Photo by Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children/Neil Van Niekerk)
