Cathedral's Class of '66 remains 'true to their school'

The Cathedral High School Class of 1966 present Gallup Catholic Principal Angelo DiPaolo with eight checks totalling $1,410.31 they raised during their 40-year class reunion in August. Marie Chioda, director of the Gallup Catholic School Foundation, in yellow, was present on behalf of the foundation. The class of '66 challenges other classes to be as generous when planning their reunions. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

GALLUP — In the 1960s, the Beach Boys sang "Be True to Your School."

Forty years later Cathedral High School's Class of 1966 is still trying to do just that. In fact, the Class of 1966 is challenging other graduating classes to continue to remember the financial needs of Cathedral, known today as Gallup Catholic High School.

According to local businessman Philip Garcia, the Class of 1966 had its 40th class reunion last month and earmarked some of the money raised from the reunion to go to Gallup Catholic. On Wednesday, Garcia, the reunion's chairperson, and other members of the reunion committee met at the school to present Angelo DiPaolo with checks totaling more than $1,400. DiPaolo, the high school principal, is also a member of the Class of 1966.

Other reunion committee members included Juliana Dooley, Salli Bortot, Daniel Diaz, and Beverly Caviggia. Marie Chioda, the director of the Gallup Catholic School Foundation, was also in attendance.

Garcia said class members paid $50 to attend the reunion's weekend events and were told any extra money above reunion expenses would be donated to the school. In addition, Tom Kozeliski, another member of the Class of 1966, donated a number of handcrafted items to be raffled off for a financial contribution to the school. For the last several years, explained Garcia and DiPaolo, Kozeliski has been handcrafting small benches and other items from the old wooden bleachers that used to be in the school's gymnasium.

"Our plan is to improve technology," said DiPaolo about the use of the financial gift. He said the school was pursuing other sources of funding to help bring the school into 21st century technology. Gallup Catholic recently updated its phone system, he said, and it wants to install a networking system between classrooms.

Last year, he said, two individuals from the community helped the school by making $5,000 donations each.

Chioda said donations from the community are always helpful to the small school. Gallup Catholic depends mostly on tuition payments, tuition vouchers from Sacred Heart Cathedral, donations, and money raised in fund-raising events. In addition to the Panther Fall Festival the school just sponsored, the school sells raffle calendars, stages a golf tournament, and sponsors a spring fund raiser.

Chioda, who has been director of the foundation for two years, said this is the first instance she has heard of an alumni class raising money for the school as part of its reunion.

"We're trying to start something," said Garcia of the donation. "We want other classes to follow suit. If they could raise $1,000 a year, that would be pennies from heaven."