It’s going to be quite a weekend for Trinity High School.
From June 5-7, Trinity’s annual “Out of the Blue” fundraiser will launch its first virtual event. The coronavirus pandemic forced postponement of this year’s 15th auction, which originally was scheduled for May 1 at the school. Proceeds from the event support the school’s pre-professional student internship program as well as other student needs. Online registration for the event is underway.
Beginning today, in conjunction with the fundraiser -- and carrying into the three-day event -- Trinity will highlight its first responders and thank them for the work they are doing on the front lines during the pandemic and every day.
Tony Burke, Trinity’s director of communications, said first responders jumped into the spotlight as a result of the ongoing pandemic. “People are now focusing on something Trinity High School knew all along: first responders are true heroes,” he said.
Many of Trinity’s 360 students are interning with health professionals, including some at Marymount Hospital, which is part of the Cleveland Clinic and is located on the same campus as Trinity.
For nearly 100 years, Trinity, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, has been involved in developing and producing medical professionals, Burke said. In the mid-1990s, the school shifted to block scheduling in preparation for its unique pre-professional internship program, which launched in 2009. The program allows opportunities for students who want to dedicate their lives to serving others.
Sophomores through seniors participating in the program spend one day each week working an intern. Burke said students meet at school and vans take them to their work sites, then return them to campus at the end of the day. Freshmen take an introductory class that prepares them for beginning their internship experience as sophomores.
By the time the internship program marked its 10thanniversary last year, more than 600 students had participated and many decided to pursue a career in the medical field. They are working in hospitals across the area and the country, Burke said.
“We are so proud of all of our students, but during these unprecedented times, our love for those who have decided to save lives and work on the front lines is immense,” said Sister Shawn Lee, Trinity president. “We are honored to have developed so many of today’s heroes, and many of our future community protectors,” she added.
Burke said a series of short videos, some featuring Trinity alumni, are being shown online throughout the weekend as part of the tribute and Out of the Blue fundraiser. In addition to alumni, Burke said celebrities, sports figures, members of the media and public officials -- including the mayors of Parma, Garfield Heights and Independence -- provided videos, most of which are 30-60 seconds in length.
Burke, who will serve as Out of the Blue emcee, said there will be some guests and some surprises. “We wanted to do something that would make the event different,” he said, so they decided to ask for video clips. Nearly everyone who was asked participated and some contacted him asking to participate.
In addition to the countless silent auction items that can be bid for online, everyone who registers for the event will be entered into a raffle with prizes including cash and a year’s tuition donated by Kurtz Brothers and the Kurtz family.
Angel sponsors are needed, Burke said, to help underwrite the cost of an intern, which is about $3,000 per student per year. Thanks to a pair of anonymous donors, Burke said angel sponsor donations will be matched up to $20,000.
The plan is to return the event to Trinity next year, Burke said, but it could include some online components. The event is limited to about 400 guests at the school.
“When it’s been on campus, we could only speak to the people in the room. With this format, the event is open to everyone, everywhere,” Burke said. And word spread, he noted, with inquiries for Out of the Blue coming from around the country.
Click here for more information on Trinity High School. Details for Out of the Blue can be found here or call Burke at 216-581-5757.