The Foundation for the Benefit of Helias Catholic High School has postponed its annual fund drive and Bridge the Gap campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The foundation hopes to have the fund drive and campaign this fall, but it depends on the economic and health situation, Executive Director Mike Bruns said.
"We know a lot of people are going through a rough time right now, and that's why we felt it's best to postpone," he said.
The foundation postponed these fundraisers because of "consideration to everyone's situation, financial or otherwise, and out of an extreme abundance of respect and sensitivity towards current health and financial uncertainties," the Foundation Board of Directors wrote in a letter to Helias alumni.
Donations can still be made online at heliasfoundation.org or by mailing a check to Helias Foundation at PO Box 694, Jefferson City, MO 65102.
The foundation can still honor donations as annual fund drive or Bridge the Gap donations. All donations will be listed in the foundation's spring and winter newsletters. If you are a graduate, your donation will count toward the Annual Fund Drive's Class Challenge competitions.
The fund drive, "Continue the Legacy: One Gift. One Goal," is typically held from May to August. It began 43 years ago, and the Bridge the Gap campaign was separated from the fund drive about five years ago, Bruns said.
The foundation typically receives $350,000-$420,000 from the fund drive and campaign, he added.
The fund drive and campaign are for alumni, friends of Helias and business partners, and the Bridge the Gap campaign is for current Helias school families.
Helias significantly reduced its tuition in 2016 because of anonymous donations. The campaign further grows the endowment through the contribution of a tax-deductible gift to the foundation to offset the "gap" between the tuition rate and the actual cost of education.
The fund drive further strengthens the endowed funds of the foundation, ensuring the tuition rate reduction at Helias is viable long-term.