St. Thomas More High School proudly announces that the school raised over $28,000 during its GivingTuesday fundraiser on November 29, surpassing its goal of $25,000.

GivingTuesday provided supporters the opportunity to invest directly in St. Thomas More. Supporters “purchased” items and equipment – all selected personally by St. Thomas More educators – by donating the estimated cost of that item through the school’s GiveSmart fundraising website. Donors could also sponsor student experiences, such as field trips and attendance at Cavalier playoff games.

Items and experiences funded by donors on GivingTuesday include a senior field trip to see Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, a 3D printer for engineering classes, and weightlifting equipment for our fitness center. Donors purchased all 12 items requested by the science department, including nine for our biomedical sciences classes.

“We read plays throughout the curriculum for all four years in the English department,” English department chair Elizabeth Gevis said in her video to the St. Thomas More community. “Plays are meant to be performed and experienced visually, so we wanted to provide that opportunity for our students.”

St. Thomas More promoted its GivingTuesday campaign through email and social media. To highlight the campaign, the school released a series of short videos where teachers, staff, and students explained how their requested items would enhance students’ academic and extracurricular experience at St. Thomas More.

“Many of our students missed out on memorable experiences, such as field trips, college visits, and sporting events, over the past few years due to the pandemic,” Director of Development and Alumni Dan Steffes (TM ’03) said. “It’s important at St. Thomas More that we continue to bring back those shared experiences that help sustain our school community.”

One of those shared experiences is attending sporting events with their classmates. By sponsoring student sections and fan buses for Cavalier playoff games, supporters helped offset admission fees and transportation costs, allowing more students to enjoy these unforgettable moments and cheer on their peers to victory.

“Our fans bring energy, and it makes us want to play harder,” said Amari McCottry (STM ’24), who led the Cavaliers’ boys basketball team to the WIAA State Tournament last March. “Having our fans there makes us want to win for them.”

“It’s nice to know that we have other students supporting us when we’re playing our sports because we work hard at them and put a lot of time in,” softball player Kylie McElwee (STM ’23) continued. “We really appreciate it when other students come out and watch.”

St. Thomas More has participated in the GivingTuesday movement since 2014, with donors contributing over $100,000 in total. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our alumni, parents, and other supporters, St. Thomas More has met its GivingTuesday fundraising goal each year.

“Our donors have once again gone above and beyond in their support of St. Thomas More,” President John Hoch (TM ’87) said. “We are incredibly grateful for their continued support, and we look forward to sharing how these investments improve the student experience here at St. Thomas More.”

To watch the GivingTuesday messages from our teachers, staff, and students, please visit our YouTube page at youtube.com/StThomasMoreHighSchool. To make a GivingTuesday donation in honor of your favorite educator, visit tmore.org/donate.