LA SALLE ACADEMY RAISES RECORD $1M PLUS AT SCHOLARSHIP DINNER: FIRST TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY
East Village, N.Y., May 15, 2017 – More than six hundred of La Salle Academy’s alumni and friends joined together at The Pierre Hotel in Manhattan on Thursday, May 11th, for the 26th Annual Spring Gala to celebrate the all-boys Catholic high school’s achievements and a record-breaking year for the Gala: over $1 million raised for student scholarships.
“La Salle Academy may be but a small high school on the Lower East Side, but we’re succeeding on a New York City college-level basis of success thanks to our alumni, supporters, and staff,” President of La Salle Academy Dr. Catherine L. Guerriero said of the record-breaking fundraiser.
Guests were greeted by some of La Salle’s best and brightest students at The Pierre, where they were ushered in to mingle with long-lost friends. The event entertained attendees 
with an assorted program – from honoring outgoing Board Chairman Valentine A. Lehr ’58 with a scholarship in his name, to displaying a video showcasing La Salle’s growing muscularity and ongoing success, to hearing a sponsored scholarship student share his story with the crowd, to presenting the 2017 New York State Class B Federation Championship Varsity Basketball Team with their well-deserved letterman jackets.
“My four years at La Salle were my path to the rest of the world. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the diversity, inclusiveness, and tolerance that were part of everyday teaching at La Salle have laid the foundation for my personal and professional life,” said Salvatore LaRocca ‘82, President of Global Partnerships, National Basketball Association. LaRocca served as the 26th Annual Spring Gala Emcee and Co-Chair, alongside fellow La Salle alumnus Vincent Tese ’60, Executive Chairman, Florida Community Bank.
Due to their constant dedication and commitment to La Salle the following La Salle alumni were honored at the 26th Annual Spring Gala: J. Edward “Joe” Cecala, James Cunningham 
’41 (posthumously), Thomas Cunningham ’71, Sean Cunningham ’75, and Richard P. Libretti ’60. George J. Delagrammatikas of The Cooper Union was honored as the 2017 Educator of the Year, for helping to forge a crucial and innovative partnership between The Cooper Union and La Salle Academy.
This year, La Salle Academy celebrates 169 years of Catholic education in the Lasallian tradition in New York City.