CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION TO HOST 32ND ANNUAL
SALUTE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL ALUMNI DINNER EVENT
Foundation Seeks All-Time High Net $1.35 Million from the Event to Benefit Catholic
School Families and Parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York to Deliver Keynote Address
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) – The Catholic Education Foundation of the Archdiocese of Louisville (the “Foundation”) today announced that it will host the 32nd annual Salute to Catholic School Alumni Dinner (the “Salute”) at Louisville’s historic Galt House Hotel on Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
The Foundation will honor eight individuals at the event whose accomplishments in career, community and life highlight the storied tradition of excellence in Catholic schools in central Kentucky that began over 200 years ago.
Established in 1990, the Salute is a hallmark community event in the Commonwealth, raising funds for families, parishes and schools to provide tuition assistance for families as well as grants for religious education, professional development of teachers and advancements in technology. In the fall of 2021, the Foundation and its funding partners awarded a record $7 million in tuition assistance to an all-time high 3,400 students across 39 Catholic elementary schools.
The Foundation is blessed to have as this year’s Salute keynote speaker His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York.
Mr. Joseph W. Dougherty, President of Louisville Paving & Construction Company, will serve as the Chair of this year’s event.
The 2022 class of Salute honorees (with school affiliation) includes:
Claudia M. Coffey (Assumption High School) – Co-Host, Great Day Live, WHAS-11
Joseph “Jody” F. Demling, Jr. (Trinity High School) – Sports Media Professional
Deborah Akers Ford (Mercy Academy) – Chancellor, University of Wisconsin – Parkside
Stephen T. Hamilton, Sr. (St. Joseph School, Bardstown, KY) – Secretary and Treasurer, Nally & Hamilton Enterprises, Inc.
D. Hank Robinson (Saint Xavier High School) – Senior Vice President, Tax, Humana Inc.
John A. Zoeller (Bishop David High School) – CEO & President, Zoeller Company.
The Foundation will also honor All Catholic School Teachers and Staff with its distinguished Community Service Award for their heroic dedication and service to their students during the health pandemic. The award will be accepted by Dr. Mary Beth Bowling, Superintendent of Schools, on behalf of all teachers and staff in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Fifth Third Bank of Kentucky is sponsoring this award for the 21st year.
Lisa A. Lauder, a teacher at St. Gabriel School, will receive the 2022 Father Joseph McGee Award as the outstanding Catholic school educator in the Archdiocese of Louisville. The award is being sponsored by Norton Healthcare for the thirteenth consecutive year.
Foundation President Richard A. Lechleiter remarked, “We could not be more excited to celebrate our eight distinguished honorees at this very special 32nd annual event on March 15! One of the largest of its kind in the Commonwealth, this event has long provided significant funding to strengthen our families and Catholic education across central Kentucky. Our team is working very hard to net a historic $1.35 million from this year’s Salute, surpassing last year’s landmark record $1.3 million. We are indeed grateful to our many supporters who value Catholic education and the countless benefits that it has provided to students, families and the broader community for generations.”
The Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D. D., Archbishop Emeritus of Louisville, noted, “I am continually grateful for this community’s staunch support of both the Salute dinner event and the work of the Foundation. What a feat it is to aim for a $1.35 million result from this event to support families across central Kentucky who want their children to attend a Catholic school but can’t afford its full cost. We are indeed blessed to work for their benefit and the futures of their children!”
The Foundation also announced that this year’s event will benefit from a new Presenting Sponsor. Louisville-based ISCO Industries will serve in this new role with an investment of $75,000. Jimmy Kirchdorfer, ISCO’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, noted, “My brother Mark and I are thrilled that our company will serve as the Presenting Sponsor of this prestigious event. Here at ISCO, many of our team members are Catholic school graduates and we think it makes so much sense to invest in one of our community’s greatest treasures – Catholic education!”
Major benefactors of this year’s Salute, each of whom has contributed from $25,000 to $50,000, include Fifth Third Bank of Kentucky (founding benefactor); Norton Healthcare; AirHydro Power; Brown–Forman Corporation; The Bufford Family Foundation; D3 Foundation; Dahlem; Joseph and Sherry Dougherty; David and Cathy Durik; The Glenview Trust Company; David and Jennie Heintzman; Bill and Patty Kantlehner; Joe and Kelly Landenwich; Sarah and John Lechleiter; Bill and Michelle Mudd; Allan and Bunny Parnell; The Ramsey Family; Karen and Hank Robinson; The Sautel Family; SCJ Fiduciary Services; Len and Susan Spalding; Brad and Charlotte Stengel; Stock Yards Bank and Trust Co.; the Daniel C. Ulmer Family; Willis Klein; Tom and Rhonda Wimsett; and the Richard and Janice Lechleiter Family.
The Salute doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner and program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tables and individual seats may be purchased by contacting the Foundation by phone or online at www.ceflou.org.
About the Catholic Education Foundation:
For over 200 years, Catholic schools have contributed significantly to the social, spiritual and economic fabric of our entire community. The Catholic Education Foundation is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the growth and vitality of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Since 1999, the Foundation has awarded over $46 million in support of Catholic education. Visit the Foundation at www.ceflou.org.
