AUBURN — A fundraising campaign to provide tuition assistance to St. Dominic Academy families raised $403,072, thanks to the generosity of donors and three benefactors that tripled the collected donations.
The 2020 Jean-Dion Match Challenge drew in 386 donors with alumni Ray Jean ’60, Louise Jean ’61 and Don Dion ’72 tripling each dollar up to $125,000. The challenge is in addition to an endowment that the Jeans established at the Catholic Foundation of Maine in memory of Louise’s mother, Laurianne Cormier.
Monetary losses, including lost wages, have resulted in concerns about the ability of families to pay tuition. With major fundraising events canceled, these concerns are heightened and made the unprecedented success of this year’s campaign crucial.
“I want to thank all of the people that helped raise this money,” said Dion. “In these difficult times, it’s really nice that we were all able to help the school.”
“Louise and I are thrilled by the outcome of this campaign,” said Ray Jean. “The real winners here are the students. Those who will be afforded a chance to attend St. Dom’s. Louise and I look back fondly on the great, formative years we spent there. Now, more students will get the chance to receive the same quality education that we did as students.”
“The money raised through the Jean-Dion Match Challenge will help parents pay for this year’s tuition and help secure future tuition assistance needs,” said Timothy Gallic, president of the academy, which has campuses in Auburn and Lewiston. “Our unwavering goals are to keep all of our students, provide a well-tuned remote learning program, and meet all the needs of our learning community. Educating students, pre-k through grade 12, in the faith is essential in today’s world and must be available to all who desire it.”
In June, the Class of 2020 will be the 75th to graduate from St. Dom’s. For more information, visit www.stdomsmaine.org.
