TAMPA, Fla. (June 25, 2019) — Tampa Catholic announces a gift of $500,000 to the school by Lydia and John Oliva. The couple, whose two sons are graduates of Tampa Catholic, desire to inspire others to give back by making theirs a “Challenge Gift” to Tampa Catholic High School. Each commitment received by December 31, 2019 will be matched dollar for dollar to a cumulative total of $500,000.
With this $500,000 gift to Tampa Catholic, John Oliva reflected on this special moment in the life of the school, “I feel very strongly about TC. They do a wonderful job with boys and girls. As a parent, I had two boys who went there, John and Michael, who had a wonderful experience. Tampa Catholic is full of good people. It is an excellent school where boys and girls can learn a spirituality that will last their entire lives. It is our hope that others will step-up and give back to a school we all know, love and cherish”.
The gift is the second large gift for the school in recent months. In May, Tampa Catholic alumnus Arnie Bellini and his wife Lauren made a $7 million gift to the school.
Mr. Robert C. Lees, Principal of Tampa Catholic, offered appreciation for their gift by noting, “Lydia and John are wonderful people who represent all that is good about Tampa Catholic. They embody the ideals of our mission and represent a living example of the true spirit of our school – faith, excellence, family.
Tampa Catholic will honor by the gift by naming the new fitness center that is part of the planned expansion of athletic facilities the Lydia and John Oliva Fitness Center.
About Tampa Catholic High School
Tampa Catholic High School is a leader in the education of boys and girls in the Edmund Rice tradition. We are a Catholic high school in the Diocese of St. Petersburg dedicated to providing our students with “Veritas et Caritas” (truth and charity) through educational excellence in a Christ-centered environment. Tampa Catholic has more than 760 students enrolled in its college preparatory curriculum and 99% of its graduates continue their education at a college or university. The school now has more than 9,100 alumni who proudly live the school’s ideal of Faith, Excellence & Family in Tampa and throughout the world.
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