Following a recent online campaign, St. Bernard Prep (SBP) exceeded its goal of $25,000 under the leadership of Tyler Hooper, director of development. Each day in November leading up to Giving Tuesday, Hooper celebrated St. Bernard and shared some of the many reasons to be thankful.

Hooper said St. Bernard has many reasons to celebrate, but the main reason is “our people.” Hooper sent out an email each day to school parents, friends, and alumni spotlighting an important person, mission, event, or happening at St. Bernard.

This year, 30 Days of Thanks and Giving’s emphasis was on the classroom, raising money for the school’s new Classroom Grant Program. Earlier in the year, Hooper reached out to all SBP teachers to develop a "wish list" of up to three of the most needed items for their classrooms.

All items requested through this project have undergone an approval process.

Hooper said, “Every item that a teacher, nurse, or librarian will purchase with our donors’ gifts as part of this program has been reviewed and determined to be an actual need by our school leadership. We were very intentional in making sure every dollar a donor gives will be used on classroom needs by our teachers.”

Items approved through this grant program include math kits and graphing calculators, copies of novels and textbooks for several classes, Chromebook charging carts, science lab balances and safety aprons, geography map making software, new sheet sets for the nurses’ office, band chairs and instruments, photography equipment for journalism, costumes for the spring drama production, and Wall Street Journal subscriptions to supplement economics classes.

Eighty-seven donors made gifts totaling $28,269, 113% of the school’s goal. This generous support will have immediate, transformative impact for St. Bernard as every single dollar raised goes directly to fund school grants for teachers, the nurses' office, and the library.

Hooper stated St. Bernard can now provide for every item on teachers', nurses', and librarian's wish lists, and then some. “Because friends answered our call and gave so generously, grants will be awarded for approximately $1,200 each -- $200 more than anticipated!”

Hooper concluded, “On behalf of Abbot Marcus, Father Joel, and the entire administration, faculty, staff, and students of SBP, thanks you for giving, thank you for supporting us, and most of all, thank you for loving St. Bernard. Your philanthropy has made a true difference here at SBP.”