18th Annual ICSF Dinner Celebration draws nearly 800

Hosted by the Catholic Schools Foundation, the ICSF Dinner Celebration honored the efforts of the 2010 Strategic Planning Committee and celebrated the success of the 2008 Campaign. Peggy Noonan, columnist for the Wall Street Journal and best-selling author, was the evening's featured speaker and close to 800 supporters of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund attended the event.

The dinner is held annually in celebration of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund (ICSF), which provides scholarship assistance and educational opportunities annually to needy students who attend primary or secondary Catholic Schools in Greater Boston. Scholarships are awarded to students without regard to race, religion, national origin or gender. Along with this direct financial assistance, the ICSF invests in schools through technology, counseling, and other programs that directly impact the lives of students.

"Since 1990, I have personally been committed to this work because I know that it makes a difference," said Peter S. Lynch, chairman of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund. "An investment in the Inner-City Scholarship Fund (ICSF) is not just an investment in the future of the students, but in the future of our community. This support is directly helping students, but it is also transforming families and communities."

During the evening, the Carolyn and Peter Lynch Award was accepted by Jack Connors on behalf of the 2010 Strategic Planning Committee. The Committee was recognized for developing a new vision for the Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Boston; an approach recently piloted with the consolidation of three schools into Trinity Catholic Academy in Brockton. In addition, Jennifer Etienne, an Inner-City Scholarship Fund recipient and senior this year at North Cambridge Catholic, shared personal commentary on her Catholic school education.