Mater Dei Seraph Fund Stands at $962,000

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Following Saturday night’s gala at which $95,000 was raised, the Save the Seraphs Fund now stands at $962,000. The goal is to raise $1 million.
Elizabeth Wulfhorst, public relations chairwoman for the Save the Seraphs Fundraising committee, said that the money came from ticket sales, raffles, silent auction items and even sales of Mater Dei Prep Pandora bracelet charms at its gala at the Shore Casino in Atlantic Highlands, which drew a crowd of 455 people, including NBC News’ Brian Williams.
With this momentum, hitting the $1 million goal seems within reach, said Wulfhorst.
“We’re so excited. It means basically we can move forward,” she said in an interview Sunday evening. “The million dollars is what we need to get to be financially viable.”
The fund has about $350,000 in cash donations, and the balance in pledges. It recently acquired 501(c)(3) status. “Now we’re going to start turning those pledges into donations,” she said.
She declined to identify who the big donors are, saying that the school treasures all of the donations the campaign has received. “We’ve had a lot of generous donors,” she said.
The school community is striving to raise $1 million to close a funding gap, or face closure in its 50th year as a regional parochial high school in Middletown, NJ.
— By Muriel J. Smith and Christina Johnson