St. Mary’s Academy Blues Bridge Walk raises record-breaking $105,000

Portland, October 10th, 2013. St. Mary’s Academy students raised a record-breaking $105,000 in support of the Blues Bridge Walk Student Fundraiser. The funds raised through Blues Bridge Walk support all St. Mary’s students in every aspects of their education, including academic programs, extracurricular and co-curricular activities and tuition assistance. Each student was asked to raise $150, and they’ll celebrate with a movie day at the Hollywood Theatre on Nov. 18.

“After last year’s successful Blues Bridge Walk, where we raised more than $82,000, we set an ambitious goal of hitting the $100,000 mark. These young women not only reached that milestone but surpassed it. I am so proud of the hard work and dedication they showed in giving back to the school, and so appreciative of all the parents, alumnae and donors who helped support them,” said Alison Lazareck, St. Mary’s Academy’s special events associate and Blues Bridge Walk coordinator.

This year the school’s new 1:1 iPad program added an exciting, educational and highly interactive element to the annual fundraiser. The 30 student members of the Blues Bridge Walk Committee provided peer-to-peer instruction on using tablets to build online giving pages. Students created 620 pages, in the process learning about Web content management systems and cause marketing.

Blues Bridge Walk kicked off in late September and culminated in a three-mile walk across the Steel and Hawthorne bridges. A number of parents and alumnae joined students on the adventure. The school’s top fundraiser, freshman Mikaela Foster, brought in $4,125 in support of St. Mary’s. In recognition of her efforts, she will receive a trip to San Francisco for her, a parent and a friend.

The success of Blues Bridge Walk is dependent on support from the entire St. Mary’s community, but it is a student-led effort. That sense of responsibility and leadership makes this year’s triumph even more exciting for young women such as Devon Thompson, a member of the 2013 Blues Bridge Walk Committee.

“The BBW Committee gives me a chance to participate in something that I am passionate about and help my school be the best it can. BBW is a great way for the whole school to become more aware of the
privileges and opportunities that surround us here and provides us with a way to give back and show our
appreciation for the education we’re receiving,” said Thompson, a junior.

St. Mary’s is also gearing up for it’s big financial aid luncheon, below is information about that event:

What: Join us for the 20^th anniversary of Food for Thought, St. Mary’s Academy’s tuition assistance luncheon, featuring Jane McGonigal, New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned creator of alternate reality games. This year, St. Mary’s has awarded approximately $1.39 million in tuition assistance to 41 percent of students, and Food for Thought helps the school fulfill that commitment.

When: Tuesday, November 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Hilton Portland, 921 S.W. Sixth Ave.

Cost: Tickets are $75 ($50 is tax deductible). Table sponsorships range from $1,500-$10,000 (all but $250 is tax deductible).

Information: www.stmaryspdx.org/foodforthought, 503-721-7738.
For members of the media with questions or seeking additional information, please contact Mary Ann
Albright, Director of Communications, at 503.721.7715 (direct office), 503.984.2777 (cell) or
maryann.albright@stmaryspdx.org.
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About St. Mary’s Academy
St. Mary’s Academy is a Catholic high school for young women located in the heart of downtown Portland that provides a challenging college-preparatory education with a focus on developing the whole person. Founded in 1859 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, St. Mary’s Academy is Oregon’s oldest continuously operating secondary school and offers a supportive learning environment to a diverse student body from more than 35 cities in urban, suburban and rural Oregon and Southwest Washington. It is the only school in the state to have received three Blue Ribbon awards from the U.S. Department of Education. For more information about St. Mary’s Academy, please visit www.stmaryspdx.org.