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UCS News:
Please see the release below and call or e-mail me at mwalker@ucschools.com with any questions.

Ursuline Campus unites for the 12th year to make Christmas better for nearly 450 poverty-stricken children in Appalachia

LOUISVILLE, KY (October 2006) - A special blessing will be bestowed upon a truck full of new toys, gifts and clothing from each of the five Ursuline Campus schools before leaving Ursuline Campus in route to the poverty-stricken area of Kermit, W. Va. on Friday, November 3 at approximately 9 a.m. in front of Sacred Heart Academy, 3175 Lexington Rd., Bldg. 19.

The annual trip is the culmination of a two-week gift drive by each of the Ursuline Campus member schools: Sacred Heart Academy (girls, grades 9-12), Sacred Heart Model School (coed, K-8), Ursuline Child Development Center (coed ages 1-5), Ursuline Montessori School (coed, ages 2-6) and the Ursuline School for the Performing Arts (coed, all ages).

Sacred Heart Academy’s Community Awareness Committee organizes the annual event, now in its 12th year. Annually, Sacred Heart Academy and Sacred Heart Model School students, faculty and parents deliver the clothing and toys to the Christian Help Organization, founded by an Ursuline Sister in 1975. Today, the organization is run by Ursuline Sister Brendan Conlon.

“What makes this gift drive so special is how the schools on our campus unite to bring in so many gifts,” said Sacred Heart Academy junior Rachel Dickman, co-chair of the gift drive. “When you see the gift bins in the classrooms across campus overflowing it is very touching and makes you realize how caring and giving students of all ages are.”

Due to the efforts and generosity of the students of Ursuline Campus Schools, the Christian Help Organization is able to provide Christmas gifts to over 225 families and nearly 450 children each year.

“I have always felt very blessed to have great family and friends, a wonderful education and support system, as well as an abundance of ‘things’ in my life. However, I have always been aware of others who are not as fortunate, and I have wanted to make a difference in their lives,” said Sacred Heart Academy junior Jenna Crowdus, co-chair of the gift drive. “Last year when I went on the trip to Appalachia, I experienced the poverty level of these families first hand. It was an eye opening experience….”

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UCS Toy Collection Schedule

When:

Friday, November 3
8 to 9:30 a.m.

What:

A truck will drive around the Ursuline Campus at 3105 Lexington Road, picking up boxes of toys and gifts from every school. The final stop will be Sacred Heart Academy at 3175 Lexington Road.

Schedule:

8:00-8:50 a.m. — Pick up at each of the five schools on the 48-acre Ursuline Campus, ending at Sacred Heart Academy (building #19).

9 a.m. — Dr. Beverly McAuliffe, SHA Principal, and campus ministers will bless the truck and its passengers in front of Sacred Heart Academy for their trip.

9:30 a.m. — Students, faculty, and truck depart for West Virginia.

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Ursuline Campus Schools (UCS), sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters, is a community of five Catholic schools located on the beautiful 48-acre Ursuline Campus at 3105 Lexington Road in Louisville, Kentucky. The priorities of UCS are the development of the Ursuline core values of community, leadership, reverence, and service and strong academic programs. UCS offers a unique opportunity to experience the entire educational process, from early childhood through high school and is made up of the following member schools: Sacred Heart Academy (grades 9-12), Sacred Heart Model School (grades K-8), Ursuline Montessori School (ages 2-6), Ursuline Child Development Center (ages 1-5), and the Ursuline School for the Performing Arts (all ages). The total student population is nearly 2,000. Find the campus online at http://www.ucschools.com/