A new walk will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. in Milwaukee. It’s aimed at celebrating the success of Catholic schools in southeastern Wisconsin while raising money to support tuition assistance at each school.
According to organizers, the inaugural “Soles for Catholic Education” two-mile walk, being held at Mount Mary University, is hoping to draw thousands of students, parents and alumni from the archdiocese’s 110 schools, as well as walking enthusiasts from the community.
Archbishop Jerome Listecki will also be present at the event in his red high-tops along with popular WTMJ radio personality Gene Mueller, who will be serving as the event’s official emcee.
According to Archbishop Listecki, “This walk was created to raise visibility for the archdiocese’s 110 Catholic schools while celebrating the many benefits of a Catholic education, including academic rigor, Christ-centered faith formation and, overall, a holistic approach to education, which includes mind, body and spirit.”
Recent statistics cite that during the 2012-2013 academic year, there were 31,825 students enrolled in Catholic schools in the 10 counties of southeastern Wisconsin. Catholic high schools have a 99 percent graduation rate with 94 percent of its graduates heading on to college.
In addition, students averaged 23.4 on their ACT test scores, compared to the state average of 22.1. The archdiocese’s secondary schools also reported that their graduating seniors were awarded more than $54.4 million in college scholarships.
Archbishop Listecki says these are pretty impressive statistics in an era when schools’ performance ratings are under constant scrutiny.
However, Archbishop Listecki also admits that the cost of attending a Catholic school can be cost prohibitive for families, especially during these challenging economic times. He adds that this is why the “Soles for Catholic Education” walk was created – to help eliminate this barrier. Pledge dollars raised by walkers stay with their school to support tuition assistance.
Registration
It’s not too late to participate in the walk or to pledge dollars in support of those already registered. Registration is $10. To register, pledge and/or get more information on the “Soles for Catholic Education” walk, visit www.catholicschoolswalk.org.
“Creating this event has been a labor of love by so many individuals and organizations who support our Catholic schools,” said Archbishop Listecki. “There are many Catholic school graduates in our community who are proud of the education they received. They are excited to have this event to help spread the word about our quality schools. It’s going to be a fun day.”
