ONE FAMILY IN CHRIST — CDA 2010

Andrew Junker/CATHOLIC SUN

Students at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School take part in the first annual dance-a-thon Feb. 5 to help raise funds for the Charity and Development Appeal. The event took place during the annual Catholic Schools Week celebration.

Students put stewardship into practice in support of CDA

Editor's note: This is the first in a new series of stories exploring the Charity and Development Appeal’s impact on Arizona’s Catholics — the diocese’s “One Family in Christ.”

Students from Catholic schools around the Diocese of Phoenix are learning valuable lessons about stewardship — and having plenty of fun while they’re at it.

Since school began in August, students have organized various projects to help raise money for the Charity and Development Appeal. The annual appeal kicked off this month and supports the charitable works of more than 70 organizations, as well as Catholic schools in the diocese.

Members of the St. Francis Xavier School student council held a dance marathon Feb. 5 to earn funds for the CDA. With music blaring over the P.A. system, students in every classroom twirled, whirled and boogied their way through the Macarena, Hokey-Pokey and even the Cha-Cha-Slide.

Hayden Riley, an eighth-grader who serves as the activities director for the student council, said she helped pick the music and coordinate the event.

“It’s our first year doing it,” Riley said. “We wanted something where every single grade could have fun.”

The 540 students from the school collected pledges from parents, relatives, babysitters and neighbors to help raise money for the CDA. The dance-a-thon was held during the last half-hour of school on a Friday afternoon.

Bridget Martin, a kindergarten teacher at St. Francis Xavier, surveyed her classroom full of school-uniform-clad dancers from every grade. Throughout the school year, students break into groups called tribes, which are comprised of members of each class and are led by an eighth-grader. It’s a system that builds school unity and develops leadership skills among the older students.

“I think it’s a great way for them to get involved and to reach across all the ages and help the CDA,” Martin said. 

Julie Nackard, 2010 CDA co-chair, joined students as they danced, clapped and spun in circles around the classroom. She said the event was one way for the students to learn about stewardship early in life. 

“It’s important to reach kids on a level they understand,” Nackard said. “They get to school and they have teachers and resources. They need to know that someone gave money for that.”

The CDA assists parishes with the operating costs of Catholic schools and provides tuition assistance to families who could not otherwise afford a Catholic education. So while students themselves benefit from donations to the CDA, they’re also learning about their own responsibility to participate in fundraising for the annual appeal.

Fr. Gregory Schlarb, vicar of stewardship for the Diocese of Phoenix, said he was pleased with the lessons the students learned from participating in the dance-a-thon at St. Francis Xavier.

“I think the kids are learning at an early age that in order to help others, they can also have fun,” Fr. Schlarb said. “When they set a goal for themselves, they can find creative ways of being able to do that. Who knew dancing would help the poor?” Fr. Schlarb said, adding that it this case, it did.  

Raffles, jeans day

At St. Joseph School in Cottonwood, students came up with other creative ideas to raise money for the CDA. One of the school’s teachers donated an iPod and students sold raffle tickets for it. They also held an after-school bake sale and gave the proceeds to the annual appeal.

“It’s really taught them that they have a cause,” said Merrily Pychinka, business manager and secretary of the school. “It’s given them a sense of responsibility and they’re learning some marketing skills too.” 

Over at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Tempe, students developed a program called “The Works of Mercy Campaign” that helps them learn stewardship and practice their faith.

If a classroom meets its collection goal for the month, the students earn the right to wear jeans to school for a day. It’s a big hit with the children, said Vincent Sheridan, principal of the school.

At St. Mary-Basha School in Chandler, students have penny jars in each classroom. For students in first grade and above, a full penny jar means they don’t have to wear their uniform for a day. Kindergarten students don’t wear uniforms, but when their jar is full, they get a highly anticipated extra recess.

“It makes them mindful that everybody needs to do a little bit — everybody has to do something,” said Sr. Mary Norbert Long, SC, principal of the school. “The pennies add up.”

At Seton Catholic High School, students have been learning about stewardship and the CDA in their theology classes. They’ve already had one “buck-a-jeans day” to earn money for the CDA and will have another this semester.

Paul Osterday, advancement director at the school, said the staff wanted the fundraiser to be meaningful. 

“We wanted this to be something where there’s teaching to go along with it so they would understand what they’re doing,” she said.  “They’re supporting the mission of the larger Church.”