Calling all Christendom Crusaders!
T-minus 2 days to Giving Day!
We hope you can join us for one of the social events in Front Royal, Manassas, Dallas or Denver on the 24th of April.
Our first challenge has been announced: Once we receive 200 monthly gifts a group of generous alumni will give $75K to The Carroll Fund! Wow, $75K just for 200 of you giving a monthly gift no matter the amount. This is absolutely attainable with your help, especially considering the fact that alumni couples that give count as two gifts. We can do this!
We have been featuring the reasons to give to The Carroll Fund and today our focus is on the Crusader Athletics Program. The Athletics program and the possibility to compete collegiately at a high level, while still being a true student-athlete, is a powerful draw for prospective students.
Mens Sana in Corpore Sano ("a sound mind in a sound body")
Our 160+ student-athletes are led by coaches that understand the proper role training the body has in disciplining the mind and soul. The important lessons learned through and from athletics serve to lift man to his ultimate destiny.
At the heart of each team sport is the desire to know, love, and serve God. This is borne out as our teams attend Mass, take part in communal devotion, and in the team study hall where they push each other to higher and more rigorous academic pursuits. In their common pursuit of Truth, these young men and women develop a phalanx-like bond that is unbreakable. Each athlete develops a sound mind in a sound body.
More and more students seek a Christendom education hopeful of also continuing in their athletic endeavors. We are proud to say that over the past few years we have seen a spike in the growth in numbers of our student-athletes. To accommodate this, we have added three new varsity sports; Women's and Men's Cross Country and Baseball in addition to our seven existing competitive and successful sports.
The changing face of Christendom Athletics has also brought about changes to the physical campus. We have built Crusader Fields, over two acres of Bermuda fields that allow our Women's and Men's Soccer and Rugby teams to host and compete on campus. This is a boon not only for our teams but for the whole student body who use these fields for ultimate frisbee, flag football, and other games. We are also planning to build cross country and running paths on campus, batting cages for our softball and baseball teams, and other projects to offer something for everyone.
With ten varsity sports, a growing number of student-athletes, and with teams competing throughout the year, the operating costs of the athletic department have also risen. Costs include, but are not limited to, referee/umpire expenses, field maintenance, and travel/food/lodging expenses for more than 100 away games every year.
Lastly, let us remember the father of Christendom Athletics, Thomas S Vander Woude, who passed away September 8, 2008 in an accident saving his youngest son Joseph. In his honor, his son started the Thomas S. Vander Woude Scholar-Athlete scholarship. We now have 10 worthy student-athletes who receive $5k each per year and represent Christendom well both on and off the field or court.
If you have any further questions about the Athletics programs, please do not hesitate to contact the Director of Athletics, Patrick Quest atpatrick.quest@christendom.edu
God Bless,
Karla (Kuykendall) Hester '99
Alumni Advisory Council, Chair