Spring Events Recap

It has been a fun-filled and thrilling May at La Salle Academy! Our two major annual events-the Spring Gala and Athletic Hall of Fame Scholarship Dinners-brought together alumni, students, family and friends to celebrate our proud Lasallian tradition and 167 years of educational excellence.

Principal William Johnson, FSC; Rick Taiano '83; first President Carl Malacalza, FSC

Principal William Johnson, FSC; Rick Taiano ’83; first President Carl Malacalza, FSC

Our 24th Annual Spring Gala and Scholarship Dinner on May 3rd was a full house. In all, more than 300 guests filled the Yale Club on a beautiful Sunday evening in New York City. Friends and family members of our Principal, William Johnson, FSC, first President Carl Malacalza, FSC, and Rick Taiano ’83, attended the 24th Annual Spring Gala to honor these remarkable men for their service to our beloved school in the spirit of St. John Baptist De la Salle. More than $350,000 was raised to benefit the boys of La Salle Academy and will go towards the school’s scholarship fund.

The 28th Annual Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner chaired by La Salle’s legendary basketball coach and alumnus, Bill Aberer ’67, was a great success. More than 150 alumni and friends packed the gymnasium on “Second and Second” on Friday, May 8th, to pay tribute to this year’s Hall of Fame honorees:

Charles McGrath ’53-Basketball and Track; Coach
Charles Jackson ’65-Basketball Player and Coach
Kelly Grant ’75-Basketball Player and Professional Coach
Ian Drayton ’76- Field Events
Fred Cocchiarella ’83- Field Events

Alumni were especially pleased to see La Salle’s former Field Events coach of 20 years, Tom Burns, who accepted the award in memory of Ian Drayton ’76.

All of the proceeds from this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner will go to the Buckley-Aberer Scholarship Fund established in January 2015.

If you missed these two momentous events, don’t worry. There’s more to come! Please save the dates for our Staten Island Yankees Reception on Friday, July 17, and our 21st Annual Cardinal Classic Golf Outing on Thursday, September 24th. We’ll give you more details as soon as possible!