Our Lady of the Lake School hopes to raise $35k in 100 days for new playground
Our Lady of the Lake School in Verona is marking its 100th anniversary with a series of fundraising initiatives, including a Fun Run Festival, to raise $35,000 in 100 days to construct a much-needed playground tailored for children aged 5-12.
The 100-day fundraising challenge kicked off on March 22 and has raised over $13,000 to date.
Founded in 1924, Our Lady of the Lake School has deep roots in the Verona community, thanks in large part to the visionary leadership of the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell. These dedicated women played a pivotal role in the founding of the parish and the establishment of the school.
At the forefront of the 100th anniversary celebrations are the fourth annual “Lake Madness,” an online fundraiser, culminating in a schoolwide Fun Run Festival on Friday, June 7. The family festival will offer inflatables, games, music, food trucks, 50/50 raffle, and a silent auction. Students will walk or run with their grades for 10 laps each. With the participation of every grade, the school will complete 100 Laps for 100 Years. Each student is seeking $150 in sponsorships for the run and eighth graders have also designed a T-shirt that is for sale.
Administrators identified the need for a new playground as a priority for the future, Principal Thomas Conroy said. The current playground, while suitable for younger children, lacks adequate space and equipment to accommodate older students, according to Conroy.
Conroy emphasized the significance of the new playground for the students’ well-being. “Play is such an important part of the kids’ day,” Conroy said. “It can’t just be all academics; they need that chance to be with their friends and gain physical attributes through unstructured play.”
Entry to the festival is free, but participants need to purchase a $20 wristband to access all games and inflatables available for purchase until May 31. Individual activity tickets can be purchased at the event.
McKenna Schray, who has two children attending Our Lady of the Lake School and serves as the fundraising chair for the Home and School Association, believes that the students will benefit significantly from the new playground. “They [playgrounds] provide a space for creativity, social interaction, and personal growth,” Schray said. “I feel blessed to be able to send my children to a school that values educating the whole child inside and outside the classroom.”
Schray added that the Lake Madness event “rallies the community together” each year for a good cause.
Within the first month of the fundraiser’s kick-off on Mar. 22, the school community has raised over $13,000. School leadership and volunteers are confident about reaching this year’s fundraising goal of $35,000. Students and faculty celebrate each $5,000 milestone reached with incentives like dress-down days or extra recess time for the children.
The school has enlisted the support of corporate sponsors to fund the construction project, including Prout Funeral Home Inc, Granite Rose Wealth Alliance, Haber Silver Russoniello & Dunn, and Baby Quip. Additionally, community members can participate by donating online, attending the Lake Madness event on June 7, or volunteering their time.
“At the end of the day, everything we do is in the best interest of the kids, and we want to improve kids’ social skills and physical coordination,” Conroy said.
Our Lady of the Lake school has been educating students for 100 years. The Our Lady of the Lake parish building, which housed Our Lady of the Lake School, opened in September 1924 with accommodations for classrooms. Staffed by the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell, the school’s inaugural class graduated in June 1925 with 120 students.
In 1973, after nearly five decades of service, the Caldwell Dominican sisters departed from the school. Despite the transition, the school continued to thrive under the guidance of the Archdiocese Office of Schools, evolving to meet the changing needs of its students and community.
