Sacred Heart exceeds goal

For any school district, especially a private one like Sacred Heart Catholic School, it’s always important to receive support from the local community. Waseca has provided it in spades.

After setting a fundraising goal of raising $35,000 by Friday, April 28, as Principal Chris Dahle put it, they didn’t only reach the goal–they crushed it.

“We couldn’t do it without the help of everyone in our community,” he added. “We are so fortunate to have such generous businesses and individuals in Waseca who care about us and the students at Sacred Heart.”

By the end of Friday, April 28, the school had raised $43,756, nearly $10,000. The amount was not only more than their goal, but also more than $20,000 over the amount they raised last year.

Every year, the school starts a fundraiser in April, leading up to its annual marathon. Students accompany teachers to businesses to try and gain financial support; students also work hard to get pledges from family and friends.  Although Dahle or the school staff couldn’t recall how long the school had been doing the marathon, he knows that it’s been a fundraising effort for the school for “a very long time.”

By April 14, halfway into the fundraising campaign, the students had raised $12,000. Not even a week later, they were at $29,000. Pledges from churchgoers at Sacred Heart Catholic Church as well as sponsorships from businesses like the Mill, Alee Services, Ameriprise Financial, and American Family Insurance helped them more than fulfill their goal.

To celebrate different milestones, various teachers were pied in the face throughout the month of April to keep the morale of students high.

The marathon, which took place on Wednesday, April 26, was a 2.5 mile walk around Loon Lake starting on the Doodlebug Trail. Waseca’s Knights of Columbus were stationed around the lake to guide people (especially the children who sprinted ahead) in the right direction.

“They’re here to protect us,” Dahle told the crowd. “I think that’s pretty cool.”

By the time everyone was prepared to walk, Dahle announced the students had raised nearly $40,000, shattering their $35,000 goal.

Father Thế Hoàng, who led the prayer before the walk, gave this thanks to all the pledgers, business, volunteers, school staff, and everyone in Waseca for their generosity during the fundraiser. “We thank God every day for how fortunate we are,” he said. “Thank you all for supporting our students, our school, and our Catholic community.”

After the marathon, hundreds of participants enjoyed a hot dog meal with homemade baked goods provided by the school with the help of volunteers, many of them either parents or grandparents of Sacred Heart students. Cornhole and hula hoops were among the marathon activities for children looking to burn more energy.

The well-known saying claims it takes a village. The statement rings true for smaller, private parochial schools such as Sacred Heart.

“Our students put in a lot of work every year to get pledges for our school,” Dahle said. “We are thankful for their willingness to help keep this school here in Waseca.”