AMC president to speak at Adopt-a-Student dinner

Charles E. McManus and Bette J. Iandoli, two of the original members of the Adopt-A-Student Steering Committee for whom awards are named, will be remembered at the fifth annual Adopt-A-Student recognition dinner March 29 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.
Mrs. Iandoli, who was also on other Adopt-A-Student committees, died Jan. 15. Mr. McManus, the diocese’s first lay superintendent of schools, died Nov. 18, 2011.
At the dinner, which is also one of the program’s fundraisers, all the Adopt-A-Student scholars are recognized, and awards are given to four students, whose names are to be announced there.
The awards are the Paul and Dorothy Kervick Award for Leadership, Wilfred and Bette Iandoli Award for Service, Charles and Beth McManus Award for Academic Excellence and Bill and Kay O’Brien Award for best exemplifying the values of the Adopt-A-Student program.
This year’s dinner speaker is Jack P. Calareso, president of Anna Maria College since 2007. He was previously president of Ohio Dominican University in Columbus and president of Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa. He earned his undergraduate degree at Boston College, his master’s at St. Bernard’s School of Theology in Rochester, N.Y., and his doctorate at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis.
“In 1989, ... Bishop Timothy J. Harrington stated in an article in The Catholic Free Press that he had a dream,” says the website www.Adopt-A-Student.net. “The dream was that the generosity of committed benefactors would help families demonstrating financial need to send their children to Catholic Schools. This dream materialized into The Adopt-A-Student program when  William O’Brien became chairperson of the program and a steering committee was formed.”
Bishop McManus, in a letter inviting people to join him at the dinner, noted that Adopt-A-Student gave more than $210,000 this academic year to students “whose parents would not be able to afford a Catholic education without this program’s financial support.”

Over the past 23 years, the Adopt-A-Student program has given more than 1,000 scholarships totaling $3 million to students attending Holy Name Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School, St. Bernard’s Central Catholic High School, St. Peter-Marian Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School and St. Peter Central Catholic Elementary School, according to Robert Pape, chairman. He said the need continues to grow. The first four dinners provided more than $265,000 for scholarships, according to Robert Kenney, Dinner and Development chairman. Last year’s dinner, which drew more than 400 participants, raised $75,000, he said. All are welcome to attend the dinner for $100 per person. Those wishing to sponsor tables and/or advertise in the program book can do so. Prices range from $100 for a quarter page ad to $10,000 to be a presenting sponsor of two tables of 10 and an advertisement on book’s back cover. The deadline for advertisements is March 7. Those wishing to make a donation can do so online at www.Adopt-A-Student.net; or make checks payable to Adopt-A-Student Program or pay by credit card and mail to Robert Pape, Adopt-A-Student Program, 49 Elm St., Worcester, MA 01609.