Oh, the Weather Outside was Frightful, but Inside it was so Delightful!

Aurora, IL - It was cold and rainy, and those souls who braved the weather in support of St. Therese School earned a special place in heaven on April 29th. At the end of the evening, volunteers had been recognized, a new scholarship had been announced, and for the third straight year in a row, money had been raised to insure that Catholic educations would continue for those children whose parents could not afford to pay for it.

Inside Belle Salle Banquets, the atmosphere was beautiful, warm and inviting. Two hundred twenty parents, friends, family and faculty gathered to celebrate what is wonderful about St. Therese: the children and their families. A buffet of Hispanic-American specialties greeted everyone for dinner. The Downtown Charlie Brown Band got everyone on their feet dancing early and kept them there throughout evening.

Volunteers Monica Vasquez and Maria Arellano were recognized with the Christian Service Award. Ms. Rosa Carlton received the Spirit of the School Award for her many years of dedicated volunteerism on the Education Commission, Home and School Committee and within her child's classroom. These awards are always bestowed as surprises to the recipients, so everyone enjoyed seeing the recipient's reactions to their names being announced.

The family and friends of Mr. Joseph P. Gilles, established a scholarship at St. Therese School in his honor when he passed away earlier this school year. Mrs. Gilles and her children were present at the Dinner Dance when this announcement was made and stayed to enjoy the rest of the evening of celebration and fundraising. Mr. Gilles helped bring St. Therese into the 21st Century through his donations of computer equipment and money to our Technology Program. One of his friends remembered Joseph as a "a dear friend and neighbor to our family for nearly 40 years. His involvement in Boy Scouting, Catholic schools, parish organizations, family and personal friendships exemplified Catholic living."

Among all of the opportunities to participate in the fundraising, the ever popular basket and Grand Raffles were highlights of the evening as winners carried baskets of goodies home to enjoy. When the evening ended, based upon collections for the Grand Raffle, smaller raffles, the silent auction and donations that were made to the school that evening, St. Therese School had raised a total of $9,500 toward the various scholarship programs at the school.

About St. Therese School

St. Therese is a co-educational Catholic elementary school located in Aurora, Illinois. Founded in May 1925, St. Therese continues to offer an affordable Catholic education to students in preschool through 8th Grade. We serve a multi-cultural population through messages of faith, academic programs and service opportunities. The educational team challenges students to practice their faith in Christ while becoming knowledgeable and skilled citizens. For more information about our school or any of our programs, please contact our Principal, Michael Neis, at 630.898.0620.