The Fund For Molloy – We Are Stronger With You
Every day, Archbishop Molloy High School positively impacts the lives of hundreds of young men and women. Thousands before them have grown into individuals of faith, kindness, and intellect, while generations to come will be blessed by our school’s nurturing environment. A dedicated administration and faculty made up of Marist Brothers and lay people, constantly evolving infrastructure, technology upgrades, service and retreat programs, spiritual direction, athletic play, and so much more gives Molloy students the absolute best tools to succeed not for school, but for life. The groundwork for these opportunities has been laid by alumni, parents and friends.
Over the past several years, Molloy has seen and heard the indelible passion of its community. Your support of the Fund For Molloy has led to over $1.5 million in capital improvements around our campus since 2011. These include the state-of-the-art William J. Murphy Library, the installation of improved technology infrastructure to support Fall 2014’s iPad program, a new multi-purpose dance and step studio, upgrades to Stanner Field and the Jack Curran Gymnasium, new fire-rated doors, and the addition of new conference meeting spaces for students and faculty. These improvements enhance the learning environment that our college-prep curriculum commands and provides our faculty with the best means to help Stanners grow. In addition, you stepped up to help our Stanner families affected by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Over $240,000 in tuition relief, including uniforms, books, and counseling, were provided for these students and their families thanks to donations made to the Fund For Molloy.
Upcoming capital projects will continue to refine Molloy’s facilities and provide our students with the latest educational tools. Your generosity continues to make the difference here. This year’s Fund For Molloy campaign has been particularly inspiring, with many of you perpetuating your support as well as others who have made an impact on our scholarship program for the first time. To date, this year’s Fund For Molloy has raised over $400,000. This critical support enables Molloy to address a wide variety of urgent priorities. Most notable is the needs assistance program that helps students and their families undergoing extraordinary financial and personal circumstances the ability to remain at Molloy. Your gifts have given Molloy the ability to help hundreds of students in the last four years.
Your commitment and care for our students transforms the lives of over 1,500 students every year. They are the leaders of tomorrow, and will continue to make the most of the gift of education that you have provided.
We thank all Stanners who continue to support the values and mission of Molloy. If you have not yet made your gift to the Fund For Molloy this year, please consider doing so today. Your gift could can help further change the lives of more talented young students for the better.
Stanner Golf Classic – One Month Away!
- When: Monday, May 5th, 2014
- Where: North Hills Country Club | Plandome Country Club
- Contact: Maria Ford (mford@molloyhs.org)
- Download Your Invitation
- REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED
In just over one month, alumni and friends will hit the links at the 28th Annual Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic. By now you’ve read about some of the great prizes up for grabs (Super Bowl XLIX tickets, a trip to Las Vegas, a 40″ Sharp HDTV, and more). You’ve also read about our honorees, Golf Chairman Bob Metzger ’88 and Honorary Chairman Jack Conley, who we encourage our community to congratulate in this year’s golf journal. But what you haven’t read is that reservations are extremely limited as of today! We have received a great response this year from alumni who have never golfed with us before, new corporate sponsors who are excited to extend their generosity to Molloy, and friends and family who are eager to show their support for Bob and Jack. As a result, spaces are filling up faster than usual at both North Hills Country Club and Plandome Country Club – the hosts of this year’s outing. Despite the flurry of reservations, it’s not too late to secure your spot. Your reservation of $400 includes brunch, cocktails, dinner, shirt, hat, bag and golf balls. If your company or business would like to donate a sponsorship, all sponsorship packages include a foursome, the aforementioned accommodations, signage on the course, and a journal page. The golf journal features many businesses owned by Stanners and friends of Stanners and is a great way to catch the eye of our community.
The Stanner Golf Classic is a great time to get together with your children, friends, or colleagues or establish new relationships with fellow Stanners. Reminisce, meet other Stanner families, close out a business deal or two, support students in need, and have a great day at a beautiful, private country club on Long Island. There are definitely worse ways to spend a Monday! Contact Maria Ford at mford@molloyhs.org or (718) 943-3186 to get started.
Champagnat Society Digs Deep in Nicaragua
Over the course of the school year, Molloy students are provided with many opportunities to volunteer their time. Whether tutoring their peers, spending time with our neighbors at Briarwood Shelter, or working as a counselor at Esopus, Stanners enjoy rich, fulfilling experiences in service. There is one opportunity, however, that requires added dedication, but can ultimately be among the most rewarding experiences of their lives. The St. Marcellin Champagnat Society, founded nearly 10 years ago by Br. Pat Hogan and Mr. Chris Dougherty ’91, is a service society that provides opportunities for students and alumni to serve the needy, sick, and disabled at The Shrine at Lourdes, France, the United States, and other locations abroad. Lourdes is a staple among SMCS destinations, but the society has also visited South Dakota, Boston, New Orleans, Peru, and our own backyard in Rockaway and Breezy Point following Superstorm Sandy.
This year, SMCS came upon the unique opportunity to team up with Mustard Seed Communities, a non-profit organization dedicated to “caring for the most vulnerable populations in society.” These include children and adults with disabilities or those affected by HIV/AIDS, teen mothers and their babies, and those in need of proper nutrition or education. Mustard Seed Communities operates out of four main hubs: Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Zimbabwe, and Nicaragua. With this new friendship established, 29 SMCS members, including students and faculty chaperones, headed to Nicaragua during winter break. “Central America was one of the first places we had in mind to visit 10 years ago,” said Mr. Dougherty. “But we only found ourselves traveling there this past winter. It’s great to give the students a different experience year to year if circumstances allow.”
When the group arrived in the capital city of Managua, they traveled about one hour to a campus residence for young adults in Diriamba. “It reminded me a lot of the young adult camps at Esopus,” noted Mr. Dougherty. Once settled, SMCS sorted donations they brought from home, including medical supplies, clothing, toiletries, food, toys, and even a smoke detector. In all, over 10 luggage bags were filled with donated items for the Mustard Seed Communities children. Following all that sorting, SMCS worked with children and young adults of various ages at a local school. Our Stanners spent time with these individuals, played games, shared stories, and bonded in extraordinary ways. When not interacting one on one, SMCS also contributed some manual labor, working together to frame out and build a portion of a new extension for the school. “Rates for Down Syndrome and other disabilities are up in Nicaragua, and so more classroom 
space is needed,” explained Mr. Dougherty. Students also took part in prayer time at the end of each day, which they conducted themselves. These inspiring reflections were built in to the trip itinerary by MSC.
Madeline Gillooley ’17 learned much from the children she worked with in Nicaragua. “The children of MSC taught me that you don’t need material items or money to be happy. They just wanted someone to love them. A hug was more than enough for these children to be satisfied.” Madeline continued, “These kids had physical and or mental disabilities, no personal belongings, and lived in conditions of poverty, yet they were still able to keep love in their hearts and smiles on their faces.” Mr. Dougherty was also excited by the experience. “The way our students gelled with each other and with the Mustard Seed children was incredible. Seeing the conditions and the level of poverty these children face every day was eye opening, and the perspective we gained reminds us to commit to service to others in the Marist way. This was an experience these kids will never forget.” As a whole, SMCS learned a lot from their time in Nicaragua, and we hope they have been inspired to continue their service, putting the needs of others before their own throughout their lives. (Photos by Diego Arellano ’15)
View a full photo gallery from SMCS’s service trip to Nicaragua.
Around the School
Stanner Legends Get “Shout Out” on National TV
If you follow Molloy on Twitter and or Facebook, it would have been hard to miss last week’s news that our school was featured prominently on a national television broadcast. If you don’t follow us on social media, here’s a recap. During NCAA coverage on the CBS network, Stanner Hall of Famer and NBA great Kenny “The Jet” Smith ’83 was performing his typical role as an in-studio analyst. When referencing Louisville star and fellow Stanner Russ Smith ’09, Kenny took a time out to highlight the success of Molloy’s athletics program. He referenced the late Jack Curran, whom he continues to be inspired by daily, as well as a list of our school’s prominent basketball alumni. Among those listed included Kenny Anderson ’89, Sundiata Gaines ’04, Kevin Joyce ’69, Jim Larranaga ’67, the aforementioned Russ Smith, Robert Werdann ’88, and Brian Winters ’70. Also listed was Lou Carnesecca ’43, who was a great Stanner coach in his own right at St. Ann’s Academy and later during Molloy’s 1957-58 season. Smith’s shout out was exciting, and the network’s decision to display such a prominent graphic during national NCAA coverage speaks to the level that Molloy is revered as an academic, athletic, and faith-based institution. (Photo courtesy of Peter Damilatis ’01)
Alumni tweeted and re-tweeted the event almost instantly. Of course, some wondered why other reputable alumni were not featured on the list. Thomas McKnight ’64 commented on our Facebook page, “I think we need to recognize some of the great ball players who attended Molloy and St. Ann’s prior to the 1980’s, like Billy Lawrence ’61, Rudy Bogad ’64, Willie Hall ’58 and York Larese ’56. Stanner basketball goes way back and hopefully will well into the future.” Of course Mr. McKnight is right on the money, and there are many others that could have been listed, including Tom Kearns ’54, Ralph James ’87, Bob Carver ’68, and even multi-sport athlete Ed Kurpiel ’71. Still, it’s important to remember that Molloy is recognized not only for basketball, but general athletic excellence as well. Molloy boasts many alumni who were top athletes in a variety of sports who could be featured on similar lists, but that is a debate for another day. In the meantime, we’d like to thank Kenny Smith for his kind words and encourage our alumni to keep spreading the word about what it means to be a Stanner! Why not start the conversation on Twitter or Facebook? Check out #StannerPride #Nonscholaesedvitae #MolloyHS and #Stanners and help Molloy go viral! (Photo courtesy of Turner Sports)
Several Molloy alumni who currently attend St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn were recently honored by being named to the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. According to the college’s website, the All-Academic Team consists of “student-athletes who have reached sophomore academic standing and have earned a 3.5 cumulative GPA or better at the conclusion of the fall semester, and participate in one of the conference’s fall sports.” The following alumni received this great honor: Lauren Conter ’11 (Women’s Cross Country), Lauren Kelly ’12 (Women’s Soccer), Victoria LoBosco ’11 (Women’s Tennis), Jennifer Moncino ’11 (Women’s Volleyball), and John Moore ’10 (Men’s Cross Country). Congratulations to these amazing student-athletes! Visit www.sjcbears.com for more details.
James Jordan ’01 and Carissa Peluso Jordan ’04 are proud to announce the birth of their son Kellan Henry Jordan on March 16th, 2014. Kellan entered the world at 6 pounds 12 ounces and was 18 inches long. All are doing well in the days since. Congratulations to this very happy Stanner family!
John Meade ’52 reports that he is doing well and that he is still in contact with several classmates including Larry Tierney ’52, Dennis Buckley ’52, and Tom Curran ’52. All were members of the first city championship team under coach Lou Carnesecca ’43, and they will always be very proud of that fact!
We are saddened to announce the passing of Thomas Croci ’60 following a courageous battle against cancer. Please pray for Thomas and the Croci family.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Mr. John Nelson, father of J. Timothy Nelson ’79. Please keep Mr. Nelson, Tim, and the entire Nelson family in your thoughts and prayers.
We are saddened to share the passing of Virginia Kearns, mother of Bill ’74 and Don ’77. Virginia was also aunt of Dr. Richard ’67, John Kearns ’69 and Tom Kearns ’73 and Richard Vahey ’62. According to Bill, “My mother was quite proud of the fact that so many of her family were Stanners, and she always spoke of being able to spot a Molloy man as they were always so outstanding.” We ask our community to please pray for Virginia and the Kearns family.
We received a note from an alumnus informing us that William Russell ’62 passed away on December 5th, 2012. Please keep William in your prayers this week.
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