Alumni Brothers and Sisters:

I wanted to quickly send an update before your work-week begins, to share that the first month of this year was nothing short of a success!

BROTHER STANLEY BREAKFAST (January 8th):
January started with the first Brother Stanley Breakfast of the year.
Held every first Thursday of the month at Mi Tierra at 7:30am, this monthly gathering attracts over 20 alumni who come together to enjoy catching up with one another. It was a pleasure to meet so many fellow alum from the 60’s and 70’s and hear the stories of camaraderie and chisme. They are men of intellect, faith, conviction, opinion and integrity. It reminded me how lucky I was to attend such a fine school.

Next Meeting:
Although Brother Stanley is resting due to his recent surgery he will still keep the meeting as planned. I am told that we will be hosting it at the Brother’s Residences at HC. Breakfast provided, but please bring a small donation for the food. Parking is available by the buses and/or on the street. Please stop by and say hello.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEETING (January 14th):
We had a fantastic turnout for our first meeting of the year. Over 25 Alumni (including one female alum) joined us as we kicked off the new year. We were told that this is the biggest turnout that we’ve had. EVER (which is great, but something we need to change). This was an exciting time to see old and new faces at the table to discuss initiatives important to the betterment of HC. It also marked a very important event because we also announced our first Executive Committee, made up of some really talented and involved alumni:

* Juan Barrera (President) – Class of 1988
* Ruben Saenz (Vice President) – Class of 1964
* Chris Ramirez (Treasurer) – Class of 1985
* David Fuentes (Special Projects) – Class of 1989
* Arthur Mancinas (Secretary) – Class of 1988

This group is committed to help our association scale and meet the following goals:

* To increase alumni membership in support of annual events
* To support  existing and new initiatives to help HC meet annual fundraising goals
* To support the HC family of students, parents and staff in developing a strong sense of community

While we have more personnel actively engaged than ever before, WE STILL NEED HELP. I encourage you to come to future meetings and support one of the following events throughout the year:

* Khaki & Plaid Gala (January 31st): Hosted by the Archdiocese and Hope for the Future, this gala is extremely important to Holy Cross, as it is the largest recipient of financial support. Monies generated from this event go directly to off-setting student tuition and greatly help the school meet its annual budget requirements. This year’s event was hosted at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and was attended by over 800 guests hailing from catholic elementary, middle and area high schools. It was inspiring to see people come together with a single goal in mind: Supporting the value that a faith-based education provides.

* Valentine’s Day Dance (Saturday, February 14th – Hosted by the Booster Club) – tickets still on sale – contact Gilbert “Pollo” Rodriguez at grod94@gmail.com for more information. Proceeds benefit the Booster Club’s annual athletic goals.

* Softball Tournament  (Memorial Day Weekend – May): This is our largest annual fundraising event and requires a lot of planning and resourcing from alumni, vendors and participants. If you are a class coach or are interested in volunteering on one of our sub-committee’s, then I encourage you to come out to our next meeting (Wednesday, February 18th at 7pm – Cafeteria). We will be discussing new ideas for the event and will need your help to make this another successful year. If you cannot make the meeting but are interested in volunteering, then please reach out to me at jbarrera757@gmail.com or at 703-477-4681.

* ACTS Retreat (June/July): Still in planning, this event will mark an historic opportunity for the men of HC to come together for a weekend to embark on a spiritual and transformational journey. Gus Dominguez is an ACTS Brother and is fielding the sub-committee to begin the planning efforts. Please stop by our next Alumni meeting if you would like to learn more, or reach out directly to him at 210-843-9181 or at iamchosen1@sbcglobal.net

* Blue & Gold Gala (September): One of the two major fundraising initiatives for the school, the Blue and Gold Gala directly contributes to the financial needs of the school’s operating budget. In the second year at the JW Marriott, this year’s event promises to be just as successful. For information on tickets and sponsorships, please reach out to Daniel Martinez at daniel.martinez@holycross-sa.org

* Golf Tournament (November): Our first year managing this event will no doubt prove to be a great opportunity to add another successful fundraising event to our growing corp. We are actively recruiting alumni to serve on this sub-committee, and interested persons should reach out to David Fuentes at david_mark@sbcglobal.net

Again, please make every effort to attend our next meeting, Wednesday, February 18th at 7pm in the Cafeteria. We would like to see each meeting grow in attendance. We will have special gifts for those in attendance, so please bring your fellow alumni to the meeting.

Thanks for your time and for your continued support!

Spes Unica,

Juan Barrera
Alumni Association President
Holy Cross of San Antonio
jbarrera757@gmail.com
703-477-4681