Annual fundraiser helps provide aid to St. Mary’s High School students

By Claudia I. Provencio, The Catholic Sun
May 17, 2007

While most of the more than 400 guests in attendance weren’t sporting green and gold, attendees did bring their St. Mary’s High School spirit to an annual fundraiser honoring alumni for their societal contributions.

“Not only is the family contribution huge, but what the alumni do to give back is even greater,” said attendee Shelley Frankel, who has a son at the school.

The event raised an estimated $160,000 for St. Mary’s tuition assistance programs — from which more than 50 percent of students receive aid — and general improvement.

After viewing a video touting the school’s sports accolades and distinction as the oldest Catholic high school in Arizona — begun 90 years ago by the Sisters of the Precious Blood — three alumni were inducted into the St. Mary’s Hall of Fame.

Alumni Tommy Nuñez, who attended 1952-1954; Jim Sanford, Class of 1961; and David Mitchell, Class of 1976, each received standing ovations during an April 28 awards dinner at the Wyndham Phoenix Hotel.

Outstanding humanitarian

Nuñez, inducted as “Outstanding Humanitarian,” was introduced as the “most famous student who didn’t get his diploma at St. Mary’s.”

“He is a model for youth in perseverance although I am not sure he was a model youth,” quipped Lou LaScala, former St. Mary’s principal.

After being kicked out of St. Mary’s for his fighting ways, Nuñez, who joked he must have set “a national record for swats,” joined the Marines.

He credits the Marines for changing his life. Once out, he worked his way up from officiating games at a community gym to refereeing for the NBA, the first Hispanic to do so.

“He’s a great guy and someone who made a career out of a dream,” said Jerry Colangelo, former owner of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Now retired, Nuñez frequently speaks to at-risk youth about his troubled past and established the Tommy Nuñez Foundation. It runs basketball and golf clinics whose proceeds support the academic and athletic needs of economically disadvantaged youth.

Because of his contributions to the community, Nuñez received the Golden Whistle Award in 1999, the highest honor given by the National Association of Sports Officials for humanitarian work.

Outstanding administrator

While Nuñez made his mark in the NBA, Sanford, inducted as “Outstanding Administrator,” left his legacy while roaming the halls of St. Mary’s, first as a student, then as a teacher, dean of students and athletic director.

Sanford, who retired April 27 after a 40-year career with the school, is credited with raising the Knights’ athletic department to new heights.

Friend Tim Keating said, “First, and foremost, he is a faith-filled man. I think it is reflected in his integrity, in his principles.”

Jim Sanford said if people see these qualities in him, it’s because of the educators who have called St. Mary’s home.

“Our predecessors, the Franciscan priests and Sisters of the Precious Blood, taught us so much more than math, English and science,” he said. “It’s a way of life that has centered our faith.

His fondest memory of his tenure with the Knights is witnessing the palpable school spirit during his last pep rally and knowing that students in the stands will one day join the night’s inductees in the Hall of Fame.

Outstanding athlete

For David Mitchell, a respiratory therapist who owns and operates two assisted living facilities for the elderly in South Bend, Ind., school spirit is what he remembers most. So much so, the “Outstanding Athlete” inductee brought his family with him from South Bend to experience it for themselves.

Mitchell, was an all-state football player for the Knights, and was one of the first picks at the University of Notre Dame where he continued his football career.

“When I left St. Mary’s, I didn’t think there would be any other place that could match that tradition. I don’t think Notre Dame surpassed that,” he said. “When people ask me what high school I went to, that’s when my chest really swells up.”

St. Mary’s football coach Pat Lavin remembers Mitchell for his work ethic and humility as much as for his athletic abilities.

“He was a thoroughbred and we rode him to victory many times,” Lavin said.

Mitchell, a self-described quiet individual, credits several teachers, like Bill Palmer, for bringing him out of his shell and fostering his interest in sports.

Teachers also taught him the motto he lives by, “If you bring all that you have to all that you do, it will be all that you need.”