Jesuit relies on the loyalty and generosity of its parents, alumni, and benefactors to offer a world-class Catholic education to generation after generation of students. This loyalty has been on full display over the past several days with more than 150 alumni volunteers from over 60 classes leading the charge for the annual Alumni Giving Drive.

In the first days of this year’s drive, nearly $1,000,000 has been pledged to support students and teachers—an amount that Christian Bautista ’06, Jesuit’s director of institutional advancement, says signals the unmatched enthusiasm coursing through the ranks of Blue Jay alumni. Parents have expressed the same excitement, pledging $1,300,000 in the first phase of the Parents’ Annual Giving drive as well.

“As an alumnus, I am always floored by the leadership and generosity shown by Blue Jays for our alma mater,” Bautista added. “Right now more than ever, alumni are sending a clear message to today’s students and families: ‘we are right there beside you because we believe in Jesuit.’ Just as our current parents have made an extraordinary commitment through PAG, our alumni are coming in as strong as ever.”

Gratitude, he says, is the only response that the school can have to the outpouring of generosity it has experienced already this year.

“Even in the middle of other projects like a major renovation to the school’s chapel, our alumni are showing up to be a part of the school’s core mission,” he noted. “I couldn’t be more grateful, and I know that we couldn’t do it without them.”

Visit www.jesuitnola.org/donate to give now or pledge to the Alumni Giving Drive.

Despite the drive’s early record-setting performance, the need, however, is still great. Over 1,500 Blue Jays have participated in the first days of the drive with thousands more expected to participate, but alumni class leaders are hoping to break more records.

“We need to keep pushing and keep up the momentum,” Bautista said, “because in an inflationary environment, we have a deep responsibility to ensure that we can recruit and retain the best faculty out there and keep the school open to families regardless of their background. Jesuit’s faculty, staff, and coaches are the best around, and our programs from the band to ROTC to athletics to all of our clubs rely on Parents Annual Giving and the Alumni Giving Drive to thrive.”

This year has already also seen the biggest challenge gift in the 50-year history of the drive. An anonymous member of the Class of 1973 has pledged to match $125,000 of giving for his own classmates. Other class captains and leadership teams have also begun setting ambitious class-level goals for the year.

Last year, the Class of 1969 became the first class to exceed $1,000,000 in lifetime AGD contributions in part because of a gift of $100,000 from Bob Murphy ’69. This milestone is now on display in the school’s entrance in the Madonna Della Strada building. Other classes are hot on their heels, also eager to meet this incredible mark.

“In short, the need is great, but our alumni base is like none other,” said Bautista. “Whether you participate in AGD every year or this is the first time you’re considering participating, every gift makes a real difference for every student.”