The rainy weather didn’t dampen student enthusiasm during Holy Angels School’s 2023 Catholic Schools Walk event through West Bend. (Submitted photo)

One parish school in West Bend is hoping to raise funds for needed improvements to its building through a couple of events early next month.

Holy Angels School has two events Friday, Nov. 8, intended to help fundraise for the school’s technology and security upgrades, as well as operational needs, including the recent roof replacement over the summer. It will host a live auction called “A Royal Night of Giving” that evening. It is also planning the school’s annual Catholic Schools Walk that morning, in which the school’s students will walk through the community to help promote the school.

School leaders hope this year’s events will collectively raise $40,000, which will be matched by a donation from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Principal Michelle Spaeth said last year’s Catholic Schools Walk was an overwhelming success, having raised $15,740.31, which was split between building a new playground and a small portion of the roof replacement costs. The school had aimed for a goal of $12,000, with a matching goal of $5,000 from the archdiocese. The playground, being 25 years old, had broken equipment that needed to be replaced.

The school’s efforts to publicize the annual walk helped them raise enough money to succeed in the past two years.

“The entire school was involved (in last year’s walk),” Spaeth said. “We did it during the school day and paired up students with their buddies, as part of our Big and Little Buddy program. They all walked together as buddies. Sadly, it ended up being a day where it poured rain, so most of the kids got soaking wet, but it was a lot of fun. One of our teachers lived just up the road, so as they were walking, a whole grade level hid under her porch from the rain. We have good memories and cute pictures.”

This year marks the school’s 11th annual event.

For students, the annual walk is a fun opportunity for competition and special events in the weeks leading up to the event, as each class and grade competes to raise the most money. Most of the donations in previous years came from families, but many came from parishioners and community members.

“It was fairly easy,” Spaeth said. “There wasn’t a lot we had to do. We had some big thermometers printed out. Each classroom had a poster thermometer to measure how much they raised, to see which class could raise the most money. The kids were very motivated and excited. I published it in our church bulletins, website and newsletters to show which class was in the lead. The students participated and celebrated milestones with special events like Bring Your Teddy Bear to School Day or Pajamas Day.”

Spaeth said the Catholic Schools Walk is a valuable tool for helping raise awareness of local Catholic schools and Catholic education in the community. Last year’s event involved the students walking a mile through the community in school T-shirts.

“It was a very easy fundraiser for us and a great way to promote Catholic schools. We do the walk throughout the community so people can see us out and about in our school shirts and fundraise on these big projects we’ve had through the past two years. It’s not a public event, though. We just do it in-house. It’s very flexible. Teachers can partner up with their buddy classes, and it works better that way. They wear their school shirts that have a color for each grade they’re in.”

As the school’s website notes, the decision to replace the roof over the summer came as a result of a “thorough assessment by our trusted roofing experts” that showed the roof “required attention.” The school has succeeded in replacing its roof, at an estimated cost of $700,000, thanks in part to last year’s fundraiser, but the remaining operational needs of the school require additional assistance.

Individuals interested in donating toward the Catholic Schools Walk fundraiser can do so at https://haswb.org/catholic-schools-walk. 

“A Royal Night of Giving” is an event for adults that will take place at 9480 Highway 14, Kewaskum, and will provide live entertainment, games, and live and silent auctions. Tickets can be purchased for $50 at https://www.haswb.org/aroyalnightofgiving.