Pioneers Supporting Each Other
Dear Hill-Murray Community,
Our Pioneer Premier Auction is fast approaching on Saturday, April 26th, a mere ten days away! I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight how incredible this event is and the tremendous impact it has on the students at Hill-Murray School.
The success of this amazing community-building fundraiser is crucial to what we are able to do at Hill-Murray each and every day. The funds raised at this year’s Pioneer Premier Auction, A Night at the Cosmopolitan, will impact hundreds of students through our tuition assistance program.
I would like to share some insight into our tuition assistance program so that you can understand how important it is, and always has been, to the Hill-Murray community. You may know that just over one-third of the students at Hill-Murray receive some form of tuition assistance. All Hill-Murray, all families have the opportunity to apply for tuition assistance. We partner with TADS (Tuition Aid Data Services), a third-party vendor, that provides us with an analysis of a family’s ability to pay tuition based on income, debt, assets, expenses, and household information (such as the number of dependents). There are many hardworking Hill-Murray families who make sacrifices for their students to be Pioneers.
Our tuition assistance program bridges the gap between what a family can afford to pay, based on the TADS analysis, and the cost of tuition. When you support events such as the auction, you are invited into an opportunity to ease the burden for a family who desires a Catholic education for their children, when it otherwise might not be possible. Oftentimes alumni who have received tuition assistance during their time as students, have become donors, essentially paying it forward, continuing the strong Catholic tradition of supporting each other when needed. To all of you who have stepped up so graciously, thank you. You may never know how much your gift has impacted the lives of current and future Pioneers. To those who have not yet made the leap – I invite you to become part of the strong tradition of supporting tuition assistance at Hill-Murray.
Attend the Auction! It is not your average stuffy fundraising dinner – it’s Hill-Murray style, an absolute blast and fun evening! Come to see old friends or make new ones. Invite! Ask a few friends to attend with you – I promise you it is one of the most inspiring nights you will attend. You can request to be seated with friends or with a specific group, for example freshman parents, we will make that work. If you are a current parent, invite a friend who may be considering Hill-Murray for their child. Reach out to your alumni friends and make it a night of fun. If you are new to Hill-Murray or it is your first time attending the auction, make that note when you purchase your ticket, we assure you’ll be seated with a welcoming group. This is an evening for everyone.
If you are not able to attend, please support that evening by supporting the silent and live auctions and watching the event from wherever you are! Participation in the silent auction is through our event site; email Michelle Marzitelli for live auction options. You do not have to be in person to support the evening – please spread the link to friends and family. The evening will be live-streamed so you can feel like you are right there with us, tune in for Fr. John’s prayer, Chris Zupfer’s amazing emcee skills or bad jokes, and even watch the raffle drawing which is a little after 9 pm. You can be right there with us!
Our morning prayers at school during this Holy Week are focused on Jesus’ steps toward the cross, preparing our hearts for the joy of the resurrected Christ. I wish you and your family a very Happy and Blessed Easter.
Sincerely,
Melissa Dan, Ed.S.
Hill-Murray School President
