SFX Society Appreciation Dinner

With tables perfectly set and candles lit, the room was aglow with friendly chatter and warm smiles. On October 26, The Saint John’s community welcomed over 175 guests last night to our annual Saint Francis Xavier Society Appreciation Dinner here on Main Street in Shrewsbury.

Each year, Saint john’s High School hosts an Appreciation Dinner in honor of our SFX Society members whose support of over $1,000 or more annually ensure the longevity of Saint John’s in addition to maintaining the daily operations of the school. Additionally, philanthropy at our school supports hundreds of students who otherwise would be unable to attend Saint John’s, giving them the opportunity to experience our mission, outstanding education and transformative programs.  

Last night’s program began with an introduction from our Director of Development, Mr. Eric Butler ‘02, who thoughtfully noted, “I hope the first and last words you will hear at Saint John’s are ‘Thank You’”. He then continued to share some truly remarkable statistics of the SFX Society. Mr. Butler stated, “As a group, the nearly 520 members of our SFX Society contributed over $3.5 million to Saint John’s. And with nearly 80% of our Annual Fund funded by SFX members, you truly are the cornerstone of philanthropy at Saint John’s High School.”

While guests enjoyed a delicious plated meal, the evening’s program continued with several student-led speeches and performances, including: an opening prayer by Saint John’s Senior Anthony DeNorscia, a thought-provoking and inspirational speech given by the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Carl Rapp ’78, closing remarks from Headmaster Alex Zequeira, and live student presentations from our Robotics team, jazz ensemble, the cast of Damn Yankees (opening next week in the Robert R. Jay Performing Arts Center), and an appearance by our Saint John’s Super Fans – who energetically ended the evening leading the group in a rally cheer.

On behalf of the Saint John’s community, we are thankful for events like last night and for our opportunity to show our utmost appreciation for the generosity of our SFX Society members. Thank you to all those who help Saint John’s continue to be the amazing place that it is.