By Sue Schulzetenberg

The Visitor
1-6-12

Mary of Lourdes School in Little Falls reaped the benefits last year of $23,495 in additional funding.

The school raised the money through Catholic United Financial’s annual Catholic Schools Raffle. With the earnings, Mary of Lourdes School was able to purchase several “wish list” items, such as reading tools, desk organizers, white boards and projection screens as well as help fund student scholarships, field trips, other activities and technology updates.

“It’s a very generous fundraiser that Catholic United Financial has created to show support to Catholic schools,” said Maria Heymans-Becker, the school’s principal. “It offers an avenue of funding that we could not count on otherwise.”

A ‘big benefit’

This year, Mary of Lourdes will participate in the raffle again along with 14 other schools in the St. Cloud Diocese. All together, they hope to raise $132,000 during this third annual fundraiser. Last year, participating schools in the diocese raised a total of $95,190.

“It’s been a big benefit,” said Jason Smith, principal of St. Henry Area School in Perham, which raised $4,945 through the raffle last year. “It’s nice that we don’t have to send the money away and wait for a check to come back.”

St. Henry’s set its earnings toward a new science curriculum the first year of the raffle and for offsetting parish assessments last year. The school is still deciding on how to distribute this year’s earnings, but a technology project might be an option, Smith said.

Catholic United Financial initiated the raffle because it follows the organization’s mission of supporting the Catholic Church, said Susan Detlefsen, senior communications specialist for Catholic United Financial.

The organization provides prizes and promotional material, like posters, flyers, tickets and stickers. This year’s grand-prize winner will be awarded $25,000 cash or a Ford Escape SUV. Other prizes include Caribbean Carnival Cruise packages, Apple iPads, Playstation3 Move bundles, Kindle Fire Tablets and Apple gift cards.

Participating Catholic schools sell tickets, $5 each, for the raffle. The money raised from these tickets stays with the schools; Catholic United Financial does not see it. Ticket stubs are sent to Catholic United Financial’s home office in St. Paul for a drawing, which will take place March 1. Fifty-nine schools in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota are participating.

“There are really no challenges with this raffle, only great blessings that come with it,” said Heymans-Becker. “It is a straight-forward, easy-to-run and very organized raffle event.”

Schools from the St. Cloud Diocese participating in this year’s raffle are SS. Peter and Paul in Richmond, Sacred Heart in Freeport, St. Mary's in Melrose, St. John's/St. Andrew in Greenwald/Meire Grove, St. Francis Xavier in Sartell, St. Mary, Help of Christians in St. Augusta, Mary of Lourdes in Little Falls, St. Katharine Drexel in St. Cloud, Holy Trinity in Pierz, St. Wendelin in Luxemburg, St. Henry's in Perham, St. Mary of Mount Carmel in Long Prairie, Holy Family in Sauk Centre, Holy Cross in Pearl Lake and Holy Family in Albany.