Kudos to a local charitable foundation for pledging to match new donations for a total of up to $500,000 toward the Notre Dame High School construction and renovation project.
The Ibrahim El-Hefni Technical Training Foundation is supporting the Lawrence high school's drive to raise $5 million to upgrade its Hampshire Street building. The plan includes new chemistry, biology and physics labs, a technical resource center with computers, teleconferencing equipment and other technology in each classroom. So far, the school has raised $2.7 million toward its goal.
To qualify for the matching grant, new donations must be made by Aug. 31.
Notre Dame High School is a private, college preparatory school sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Its 244 students come from Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, North Andover, Lowell and towns in Southern New Hampshire. All 51 graduates at its first commencement in June were accepted at four-year colleges and universities.
The foundation was established by the late Ibrahim El-Hefni of North Andover. El-Hefni was born in Egypt and earned a doctorate in electrical engineering in England before immigrating to the United States and achieving success as a scientist and inventor. He died in 2005.
His daughter, Suzanne Wright, a trustee of the foundation, wants to continue her father's legacy by supporting medical research and schools that educate children of immigrants.
The matching grant encourages others to participate in the fundraising campaign by essentially doubling their donations. It is an effective fundraising tool.
We offer our praise to the Ibrahim El-Hefni Technical Training Foundation for its support of students from Lawrence and surrounding communities. We thank the foundation for supporting this worthy cause.
