Notre Dame Club of Southeastern CT
July 2024 Newsletter
Dear Alumni, Parents and Friends of Notre Dame,
I hope you are enjoying summer on the Connecticut shoreline.
April was a very busy month for our club, hosting the Relics of St. Brother Andre Bessette, participating in the ND Global Day of Service at a new location, raising funds for our scholarship fund through ND Day, and sending two representatives to the annual NDAA Leadership Conference on campus. Kudos to Sam Mirabito ‘64, Marty White ‘77, Gerry Massad (parent) and Nick Moukawsher ‘23 for their contributions. Disappointingly, we lost Outstanding Club of the Year/D size to Hilton Head, but it was still awesome to receive the nomination!
Our Young Alums continue to generate energy for SECT! A barbecue was recently hosted by Cam Taylor ‘23 and an Olympics Game Watch is schedule for Aug. 7 with the New Haven and Fairfield clubs.
I hope you will join us for our biggest event of the year, the annual Student Sendoff Picnic on August 11; see details below.
A gentle reminder to those of you who have not yet paid 2024 Membership Dues, please click on the Membership Form tab to support our club.
I hope to see you at the Student Sendoff or one of our fall events! Remember .... the Irish kickoff the 2024 Football season against Texas A&M on Saturday, August 31 at 7:30 pm, broadcast on ABC! Go Irish!
Mary-Louise Houghton Polo, ND ‘77
President, Notre Dame Club of Southeastern Connecticut
Email: southeasternct.president@alumni.nd.edu
Mobile: 860-304-1247
ND Global Day of Service a Success!
The club participated in the ND Global Day of Service on April 27th at a new venue, High Hopes Therapeutic Riding in Old Lyme. Through their equine programs, this organization serves individuals with a variety of life circumstances and diagnosis. They provide a valuable service to our community for those in need, and through their programs they enrich the lives of the participants, volunteers, and staff. Seven members of the club participated, and they were warmly welcomed by several members of the High Hopes team. The major task was to clean up approximately a mile of trails that wind around the perimeter of the property. The cleanup required the removal of leaves, sticks, branches, and rocks in order to make the trails safe for both horses and participants while they walk the trails. Everyone felt that they had contributed greatly to meet that goal. In appreciation for our efforts, High Hopes painted the ND logo on a large rock along one of the trails that we cleaned up.
Sam Mirabito '64 & Marty White '77
YoungND Updates
Join Us for the Paris Olympics Game Watch - Wed. August 7 The New Haven, Fairfield County, and Southeastern Connecticut Clubs are co-hosting a YoungND Olympics Game Watch to cheer on Notre Dame athletes in Paris on August 7th at 6:45 pm at Trinity Bar in New Haven (157 Orange Street, New Haven, CT, 06510). If you have any questions, feel free to contact Cameron Taylor at either
252-565-2552 or camhtaylor85@gmail.com
Young Alums Gathered for a Barbecue
Eleven ND Young alums and one friend of ND gathered on May 7th for a barbecue at Cam Taylor’s house. The first nice Tuesday in Southeastern Connecticut prompted the gathering. Everyone brought a side and Trey Cannon made some famous crock pot pork barbecue. Cornhole was played and conversations were had about the upcoming football season and summer events well past the sunset.
2024 Scholarship Raffle Underway!
It is that time of year for our annual Notre Dame Football ticket raffle! The money we raise helps provide need-based scholarships to Notre Dame students from our region of Connecticut. For example, this last academic year we provided nearly $8000 in scholarships to 2 local students. Your generosity in this raffle helps us continue this assistance.
This year’s 1st place prize is two (2) tickets to the ND-Stanford game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday October 12th. The 2nd place prize is a replica of the Notre Dame/South Bend exit sign. The 3rd place prize is the official 2024 “The Shirt”.
This year we will once again be executing the raffle online via Rallyup. Entries can be purchased via credit card and Apple Pay through the site, and also by selecting payment by check and mailing your check to me. There are 3 tiers of entry levels at $10, $20, and $50 and options for donation.
Please use this link to access our raffle: https://go.rallyup.com/2024-notredameclubofsoutheasternct-raffle
2024 ND Club of Southeastern CT Scholarship Raffle | RallyUp
Join Us! Student Sendoff Picnic - Sunday, August 11
Come celebrate summer and sendoff our current students for the 2024 - 2025 school year by attending our annual Student Sendoff Picnic hosted by the Notre Dame Clubs of Southeastern CT and New Haven.
When? Sunday, August 11 at 5 pm
Where? Madison Surf Club, 70 Surf Club Road, Madison CT
Who? All alumni, family, and friends of Notre Dame, along with new and current students from our area
Cost? Free! Drinks, burgers, hot dogs and pulled pork will be provided. Feel free to bring a side dish or dessert to share.
This is one of our most popular events of the year and provides a great opportunity to connect with local ND folks and sendoff our students for the new school year.
Please RSVP to Paula Loria at ploria@comcast.net if you plan to attend. We hope to see you at the picnic!
Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar Now!
UND Celebration Dinner - October 3
Although we're not looking to rush the summer, we ask that you mark your calendars now to attend our annual UND Celebration Dinner scheduled for Thursday evening, October 3 at Scotch Plains Tavern in Essex. Our guest speaker is Mary Scott, Director of Innovation Education & Corporate Engagement - ND Futures Group - IDEA Center, and this year's theme is Beyond the Blueprint of Our Timeless Campus. Registration details will be announced as we get closer to the event.
Lanie White '78
Annual Mass & Communion Breakfast - Sunday, November 3
Plans are underway to host our annual Mass and Communion Breakfast at a new locations this year, Sacred Heart on the Lake Retreat Center in Higganum CT. Registration details will be released in the fall.
Keiren Donovan Smith '77
From the ND Club of Rhode Island & Southeastern MA (RISEMA)
Summer Evenings at the Watch Hill Chapel Interfaith Speaker Series "Solving Historical Mysteries of Early Christianity"
Tuesday, August 20, 2024. 5:30 PM
Dr. Robin Jensen, Patrick O'Brien Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame
"Christian Art from Idols to Icons"
Free Admission
For More Information visit: www.watchhillchapel.org Colleen Sullivan, President, ND Club of RISEMA
Upcoming Events
YoungND Olympic Games Watch - Aug. 7
Student Sendoff Picnic - August 11
UND Celebration Dinner - Oct. 3
Mass/Communion Breakfast - Nov. 3
Game Watch - TBD
Hesburgh Lecture - TBD