DARIEN—It was a “Night Under the Stars” on Thursday, March 30, when the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport (CAB) held its annual spring gala at Woodway Country Club. More than 170 people gathered to honor the legacy of The InnerCity Foundation for Charity & Education. Through a live auction and paddle raise, the school raised over $550,000, with proceeds going toward need-based financial assistance. 93% of CAB’s 920 PreK-8th grade students qualify for scholarships, despite annual tuition being only $5,200, and this year, CAB must raise $2.5M+ for this expense alone.
Highlights of the evening included a performance of “A Million Dreams” by students in CAB’s Alegre Program for the Performing Arts and a moving firsthand testimonial by 7th-grader Angelica Macedo. Macedo enrolled at CAB only this past fall but testified her life has been transformed in just seven months.
“The person who stands before you tonight is a different person from the one who would have stood here before you a year ago,” Macedo said. “That person was angry, frustrated, and discouraged.” A strong student most of her life, Macedo began struggling in 6th grade at the Bridgeport magnet school she had attended since Kindergarten. “My classmates started giving me a hard time and many of my teachers were unsupportive. One even told me I used to be smart when I was younger but she didn’t know what happened to me—like there was now something wrong with me.” Macedo started to feel alone, unmotivated, and like no one at school cared.
Macedo’s mother suggested a switch in schools. “After visiting CAB’s St. Ann campus, my mom said, ‘This is the place. We can’t say no if they’ll accept you.’ Principal [Pat] Griffin was willing to give me an opportunity and saw in me what my mom saw in me: that I am smart and that if I set my mind to something, I can achieve it.”
At St. Ann, Macedo said no one made fun of her for wanting to be a serious student, and classmates were respectful. “I now had people who could relate to me and my issues and had a safe space to talk about anything without being judged. I also was no longer distanced from God.” Since coming to CAB, Macedo said she has become passionate about religion and is learning things about her faith she never knew. She is going to be Confirmed this spring and has asked Principal Griffin to be her sponsor. “The opportunity to grow and become a responsible person while being supported at St. Ann has been a gift,” Macedo said. She recently made the High Honor Roll and was chosen to attend a Leadership Institute at Fairfield University. “I am setting goals, working hard, and confident I will achieve my dreams. I have all of you to thank. Without your generosity, my parents would not be able to send me to a school that has truly changed my life.” Macedo ended her speech to a standing ovation from the moved attendees.
Later in the evening, the Most Rev. Frank J. Caggiano presented the Philanthropic Legacy Award to the former Board members and staff of The InnerCity Foundation for Charity & Education, nearly one dozen of which were in attendance. He individually acknowledged Dick Matteis, who, he said, “did so much to help plan for the night from afar,” and expressed his gratitude to each member, noting, “Each of you and every former Board member and staff member of the Foundation have been—and are—living out the Judeo-Christian adage that ‘to whom much is given, much is expected.’”
Accepting the award on behalf of the Foundation was Audrey Dornier, who noted that over the course of 30 years, the Foundation awarded $10.6M to CAB.
“Twenty years ago I was brought on the Board by Helen Ix FitzPatrick,” she said. “Chief among our tasks was fundraising…communicating our message of ‘love thy neighbor,’ and…making sure the money we raised went to organizations who were really doing a good job at helping people.” Dornier recognized the parents, teachers, administrators, Board members, children, and alumni of CAB for their perseverance and dedication to bettering the lives of families through education, noting they have brought meaning to the lives of all who support them. “To Rich and Cindy Stone, Karen Schwarz, all the assistants and volunteers for our annual dinners, and to all who served on the Board of The Inner-City Foundation for Charity & Education over the last 30 years, we honor you,” Dornier said.
