Mount St. Joseph launches capital campaign

Saying it will strengthen the athletic program at Mount St. Joseph High School in Irvington, school leaders officially kicked off a $10.5 million capital campaign Jan. 11. Money raised from the effort will support the construction of a 1,000-seat stadium with a press box, a track and turf field, the refurbishment of the existing gymnasium, the construction of a new gymnasium and the establishment of a pedestrian bridge connecting the academic part of the campus to the athletic sections.

“We’re getting very good support, and we expect to get great support now that we have gone public,” said Emily Rollins, director of development.

In a silent phase of the campaign conducted over the last several months, the school raised nearly $500,000, according to Ms. Rollins. Mark Teixeira, a Mount alumnus and first baseman for the Atlanta Braves, recently donated $1 million to the campaign and is serving as the honorary chairman of the campaign.

There is tremendous demand for space in the sports program, according to Ms. Rollins. About 47 percent of the 1,049-member student body participates in athletics, which includes a popular intramural program in basketball, football, tennis, table tennis and soccer.

“We don’t have the facilities to accommodate all the students who want to participate,” said Ms. Rollins, noting that the school has focused on significant improvements and additions to the academic campus over the last 40 years.

“We’re very excited to be doing this right now,” she said. “We think it’s going to be instrumental to the continued success of our school.”

The total cost of the projects is estimated at $18.5 million, with buildings to be erected in three phases in the coming years, according to Ms. Rollins. The stadium, field and pedestrian bridge are already under construction and are expected to be completed in the spring.

Co-chairing the capital campaign are Joseph Fields of the class of 1974 and John Kirby Jr. of the class of 1976.