Benefit dinner raises more than $50K for HVAC system

The 200 people who turned out for the fiesta-themed benefit dinner on March 7 at Saint Joseph School warmed to the idea of replacing the school’s aging HVAC system by bringing in more than $50,000.

The funds were raised through ticket sales, sponsorships, donations, silent and live auctions, tip jars and 50-50 raffles during the school’s biggest fundraiser. The sum exceeded the goal for the evening of raising $50,000 toward a $250,000 capital investment to replace the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning units, which were installed 26 years ago in the main school building at 110 E. Stephen St. in Martinsburg.

“Our technicians tell us it’s a miracle they are still running,” Principal Maria Byrd wrote in prepared remarks read by Guillermina “Mina” Moore, her executive assistant. “While we certainly believe in miracles, our rooftop system is on borrowed time. We must act now to ensure a safe, comfortable learning environment for our students.”

Guests included priests, deacons and members from Catholic parishes in the Eastern Panhandle, seminarians from Saint John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C., parents of SJS students, staff, alumni and local business representatives.

The event was organized by the School-Family Association (SFA) and sponsored by Snyder Environmental Services Inc.; Varsity Travel / Schrock Travel; Bush Law Firm PLLC; Leatherman’s Falling Waters Campsite; City National Bank; Elevate Financial Group, LLC; and Edward Jones Financial Advisor: Tracy Regalia. The meal was prepared and served by the school’s cafeteria staff, under the direction of Suzi Crowder.

The dinner was not just about raising money, but ensuring the school’s future as a provider of Catholic education.

Speaking for Byrd, who was unable to attend, Moore said: “Our theme this school year is ‘I am the Bread of Life’ (John 6:35). It is Our Lord who sustains us as we carry out the corporal work of mercy of teaching. Just as Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, instructed Adele Brise in Champion, Wisconsin, to ‘gather the children of this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation,’ we strive to prepare our students not just for this world, but for the next, as we hope to contribute toward the ultimate goal: Heaven.”