91�����

�It was a dramatic day � and then some,� says Nathanael Cassidy, 91����� Aquinas College�s director of alumni and parent relations. �But by God�s grace, and thanks to the generosity of TAC mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers, we made it!�

The College�s 2024 , held on May 1, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, began with the ambitious goal of raising $300,000 for student financial aid. To get the day started, Cathryn and Tom Krause � the parents of one alumna and the grandparents of an alumnus and a current student � offered to match, dollar for dollar, the first $100,000 contributed. �The Krauses� gift really got parents motivated, and we had a steady stream of giving all day long, so we easily met the challenge by 5:00 p.m.,� Mr. Cassidy reflects.

�That is the one message we keep hearing again and again from parents: that they are grateful.�

But the day was far from over. Having reached the $200,000 threshold, parents still had $100,000 to go. �An anonymous TAC mom and dad then stepped forward and offered a $25,000 matching gift of their own, so the momentum just continued,� says Mr. Cassidy.

Indeed, is less than 30 minutes, TAC parents met that challenge gift, too, eclipsing $250,000.

�We thought we were all out of matching gifts at that point,� says Mr. Cassidy. �But we were in for a wonderful surprise: TAC parents Erin (Mackey) and Sam Caughron (both �96) offered a third challenge gift, this time for $10,000, to inspire their fellow parents to ever-greater generosity.�

The gambit worked, but as the evening pressed on, the gifts began to slow. �Parents rightly turn their attention to their children when the school day ends, there�s dinner to put on the table, and bedtime is fast approaching,� says Mr. Cassidy. �Sometime around 11:30, our TAC parents fulfilled the Caughrons� $10,000 challenge, but we were still about $25,000 short on our goal for the day. So, we decided to let the �day� stretch out a little longer.�

Sure enough, refreshed and caffeinated on Thursday morning, the parents resumed their giving. �We had several gifts come in, quickly pushing us past our $300,000 goal, and then they continued by mail for the next several days,� says Mr. Cassidy. When the giving finally came to an end, the total had reached $328,809. �It was heartening to see how TAC parents weren�t going to give up. They were determined to see this through.�

The outpouring of effort is a testament to the dedication of TAC mothers and fathers, both of current students and alumni, as well as to their gratitude for the gift that 91����� Aquinas College is in their children�s lives. �That is the one message we keep hearing again and again from parents: that they are grateful,� says Mr. Cassidy.

�We are grateful, too � to the Krauses, who got the day off to a hot start; to our anonymous benefactors and the Caughrons, who kept us going strong; and to the many, many TAC parents who have given sacrificially so that other families and students can continue to experience the blessing that is the College�s program of Catholic liberal education.�