St. Mary Community Foundation raffle benefits local schools

Junior high students across the parish are reading novels this school year bought with $12,000 donated by the St. Mary Community Foundation.
Laura Rentrop, English department head at Berwick Junior High, said her school bought a three-set of novels — “The Giver,” “Out of the Dust” and “Flowers for Algernon” — one for each student on each grade level.
“It’s just wonderful to have a book for the children so they have the opportunity to take it home and read, if necessary. It frees up more class time for skills and discussion on the novels,” Rentrop said.
Lisa Thibodeaux, English program manager for St. Mary public schools, said the money from the foundation was dispersed to the junior high English departments based on per pupil amounts from Oct. 1 student count.
“The opportunity for our teachers to have ample selection for class novels has been invaluable as we concentrate on grade-level texts and classic literature. The grant funds put new novels in the hands of all junior high students,” Thibodeaux said.
Each English department was given the amount to spend per grade level. The teachers were able to use the allotment in any way for those novels.
“Some purchased class sets, while others purchased one for each student. Still others used the money allotted for copies of each novel choice,” Thibodeaux said.
St. Mary Community Foundation, an affiliate of Community Foundation of Acadiana, is a philanthropic organization dedicated to raising money to make donations to programs which broadly impact St. Mary Parish and enhance the quality of life in the parish.
Alice Pecoraro, board member, said in the past, the foundation has made numerous donations since its inception.
“We donated $8,000 to the eight high schools in the parish for the schools to use to promote student achievement. Then, the next year, we donated $10,000 for art and music programs in the schools. We also donated $2,000 to the Teche Theatre in Franklin for microphones. Then, last year, we donated $12,000 for new novels for all public and private junior high students, and recently we have donated $10,000 to the Fallen Warrior Memorial in Morgan City.
The foundation’s next fundraiser is the raffle of a trip to Rome and Florence, Italy, including airfare from Lafayette and hotel for seven nights or a Royal Caribbean Cruise vacation in a VIP suite.
“When we have these fundraisers, we give the community an opportunity to participate in our philanthropic work. Each person who buys a ticket, in their own way, helps us to give the money back to the community,” Pecoraro said.
There are only 200 tickets being raffled at a cost of $100 each. Tickets are on sale through Oct. 31. The winner will be announced at a wine and cheese event in November.
Sponsors bear the cost of the prize so the foundation can use every dollar raised for its philanthropic pursuits, Pecoraro said.
Those sponsors are Fab-Con Inc., Franklin Foundation Hospital, Marshall and Susan Guidry, Gregory and Brenda Hamer, Alfred and Gail Lippman, The Prevost House Bed and Breakfast, Teche Federal Bank, Teche Regional Medical Center, Thomson Smith and Leach Insurance Group Inc. and Dr. Leonard and Charlotte Wise.
Pecoraro said schools and community organizations will be invited through a request for proposals to submit their needs beginning in early November.
To purchase tickets for the raffle, contact Pecoraro at 985-518-2575 or by email at alicepec@gmail.com.
Want to help?
Tickets are on sale for the St. Mary Parish Foundation raffle of a trip for two to Rome and Florence, Italy, including airfare from Lafayette and hotel for seven nights or a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation in a VIP suite. To purchase one of the 200 tickets available at a cost of $100 each, contact Alice Pecoraro at 985-518-2575 or email alicepec@gmail.com.