Saint Michael's Episcopal School receives surprise help

  • By CASSIE SMITH

  • Posted: Saturday, January 28, 2012 7:00 a.m.
  • Text size: A A A

A donor who's asked to remain anonymous has offered to match two dollars for every one given to Saint Michael's Episcopal School to help ensure the Bryan campus stays open.

"This is what we've been waiting for to keep going. It was always our secret hope that by mid-April we'd be able to announce we were ready for the next 40 years," said Ann Willaert, development director. "This will make it possible for sure."

In late September, the nonprofit school believed it was in jeopardy of closing almost immediately after a routine audit revealed that shortfalls carried over from previous years had created a serious cash-flow deficit. In less than two months, the school received one-third of the funds needed to carry it through the spring semester, and administrators are working to collect what's needed to continue the students' education.

The donor will match each dollar raised between now and Feb. 29 with two. He has promised to donate $200,000 when the needed $100,000 match is raised from other sources, bringing the final total to $300,000 for the school. That would successfully end the "Fund Our Future" drive that was launched in October.

"This is actually just going to put us over the top for whatever we want to do and wherever we want to go," Willaert said. "It's just pretty spectacular."

More than $261,600 already has been raised for the school from community sources.

Willaert said staff announced to students on Wednesday and parents on Thursday that the matching grant would go through February. She said she feels confident the community, parents and alumni will come through and help the school hit the goal.

The school has also started participating in social media outlets, including Facebook and Twitter, to help reach those that might be willing to donate to the cause.

"It's a way to remind former students who were here about the good things that happened," she said.

How to help

To make a tax deductible gift to help raise the $100,000 match needed to qualify for the $200,000 donation, call the school at 822-2715 or make a donation through PayPal online at stmes.net. The offer of the match grant by the anonymous donor runs through Feb. 29.

For more information, contact the school at 822-2715, or go to st-michaels-academy.org or drop by the campus at 2500 S. College Ave. in Bryan.

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