NEWARK, N.J. — Robert Sandoz, OFM, and Gregory Gebbia, OFM, recently helped raise $115,000 for Christ the King Prep here, a school for at-risk students in one of the city’s neediest neighborhoods.
Roughly 250 guests attended the school’s first fundraiser on Oct. 9.
Robert and Gregory, who had staffed the Province’s parish of Our Lady of Holy Angels in Little Falls, N.J., until June 2008, joined Newark’s Cristo Rey School, Christ the King Prep on Aug. 3. Robert is president of the school and Gregory is vice president for student life.
The gala honored John Thompson Jr., sportscaster and Olympic and Georgetown University basketball coach, and Fr. Edward Glynn S.J., founding president of Christ the King Prep.
Held at the Newark Club, the gala marked the school’s rich history. Photos can be viewed on the school’s Web site.
Now in its third year, Christ the King Prep School has 240 students in the freshman, sophomore and junior classes. The first class will graduate in June 2011. The school is housed in the former parish school of Our Lady of Good Counsel.
The motto of the Christo Rey Network is: “Transforming urban America, one student at a time.” The network identifies students of academic ability who have limited financial resources and provides them with a quality Catholic education. This challenging project is funded by having students work in an entry-level position in a corporate setting one day a week. This model of Catholic education is described in Cristo Rey’s Web Site.
Christ the King Prep is one of 24 schools in the network.
— Anthony Nicotera is director of development for Christ the King Prep.