A Legacy of Faith - Bishop Kenny High School

Our FUTURE. Our DREAM. Our GOALS.

In 2019, Bishop Kenny began a master campus planning process to identify, prioritize, and accommodate infrastructure needs. Through a comprehensive three-year work group, BK prioritized three goals as the most critical development items to be accomplished through the Legacy of Faith Capital Campaign, our first major fundraising effort in more than 30 years.

We invite you to learn more below about our vision for the future and how this will impact and enrich the complete education that each student experiences here. Stay tuned in the coming months as additional details are revealed about this exciting new step in Bishop Kenny's history. The BK of tomorrow is underway.

CAMPAIGN GOALS

ATHLETIC TRAINING CENTER
Build a new $9.1 million student-athlete training facility located at the entrance to the William H. Johnston Sr. Football Stadium.

PRACTICE GYMNASIUM
Build a new $9.5 million practice gym, student physical education locker rooms, classrooms, and weight rooms to be used by all students for practices, games, tournaments, school-wide Mass, assemblies, and to support overall health and wellness activities.

BK ENDOWMENT
Increase the BK Endowment by $6.5 million to secure Bishop Kenny’s financial future.

ATHLETIC TRAINING CENTER

PRACTICE GYM

The John A. Baldwin Athletic Center, which houses our gym, is the most utilized space on BK’s campus. It is used every day by students in physical education classes, by student-athletes for team practices, and for non-athletic purposes including monthly school-wide Mass, awards ceremonies, assemblies, and more. Every single student at BK utilizes this space.

Because it serves so many purposes, our gym is in high demand. Gym time is fully booked, with some teams practicing as early as 5:30 a.m. or late into the night in order to accommodate all teams. Our new practice gym will complement our existing facility, allowing teams to practice concurrently and better enabling Bishop Kenny to host tournaments. Other improvements and renovations will address spaces that haven’t been upgraded in 60 years.

Stay tuned for a reveal of the exciting features of this beautiful new facility.

BKHS ENDOWMENT

Created in 2021, the BKHS Endowment is reflective of our school leader’s long-range thinking and commitment to growth. The purpose of the endowment is to provide substantial long-term funds that support the level of educational excellence for which BK has always been known. Building our endowment is important for the legacy of our school in ensuring its future sustainability, financial stability, and continued success.

Through secure and professionally managed investing, and in keeping with the guidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, endowment funds provide annual returns that are used to meet the critical needs of our school. The BKHS Endowment welcomes unrestricted gifts in any amount as part of the Legacy of Faith Campaign. These gifts will provide for the greatest needs as determined by the administration, allowing BK to respond quickly to challenges and opportunities as they arise.

The support and generosity of the Bishop Kenny community on behalf of the endowment is critically important to the school’s mission in our community for generations to come.

CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP

General Chairs - Sean & Bethany Ray Reichard '92, '92

BK high school sweethearts, Sean and Beth are married and have raised four children: Lauren ’24, Kate ’26, and future Crusaders Sean and Luke. A proud player on the 1991 and 1992 Lady Crusader Basketball State Championship teams under Coach Todd Orlando, Beth graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Arts and earned a law degree from Samford University in 1999. She is a partner at Lippes Mathias LLP and a past president of the Catholic Lawyers Guild.

The decision to assume a leadership role in this campaign was easy for Sean and Beth. As both alumni and parents, the foundation of faith formed on campus, complimented by excellent academics, is important to their family. They hope their support of this campaign will greatly impact the future of all Crusaders.

General Chairs - Damon & Janet Shalley Olinto '79, '82

Janet Olinto '82 was a BK cheerleader and a member of the Red & White Girls for the baseball team. She attended Florida State University and married alumnus Damon Olinto '79. Damon was a baseball player at Kenny and went on to teach math and coach Kenny baseball before embarking on a 35-year career in banking. Damon and Janet's children, Damon Jr. ’02, Kate ’07, and Sean ’16 also attended BK. Today, Janet is the Executive Coordinator, Compliance Officer, and RenWeb Administrator at Bishop Kenny and Damon is the Market Executive of the Northeast Florida division of Synovus Bank.

Damon and Janet decided to chair this capital campaign because of the impact Bishop Kenny makes on our community and in recognition of what the school has meant for them. "My closest friends today go back to BK and the relationships that I made way back then are still the most important to me. I also would not have met my wife if not involved at BK," says Damon. "The school has been educating children in Jacksonville for nearly 75 years. We all need to ensure that BK will continue to provide excellent secondary Catholic education for the next century. The school has never conducted a capital campaign of any significance; now is the time to make our mark by investing in the future of the school."

Honorary Chairs - The Cascone Family

Michael Cascone, Jr. '61
Elizabeth Belyea Cascone '64
Michael J. Cascone '85
Steven D. Cascone '86
Elizabeth C. Higgs '88
Brian J. Cascone '91
Juliette G. Gredenhag '95
Kathleen D. Cascone '98

"My family is grateful to be a part of this historic moment at Bishop Kenny. My wife, Elizabeth Belyea '64, and our six children are all proud alumni of the school. In addition to supporting a top-quality education, we see this campaign as an opportunity to invest in ensuring that the school's facilities will be competitive well into the future. No matter what you choose to invest, this is an opportunity for all of us to join together and contribute to a project that will pay dividends for generations.”

Michael Cascon, Jr. ‘61, P’85, P’86, P’88, P’91, P’95, P’98, G’23, G’25

Campaign Cabinet

HOW TO SUPPORT

There are many ways to support the Legacy of Faith Capital Campaign. Pledges are commitments made in good faith, but are not legally binding. We encourage the fulfillment of pledges over a three-year period to make it easier to maximize your support. You may complete your commitment through monthly, quarterly, or annual installments.

You will receive an invitation to support the campaign by early 2024. If you have not heard from us and would like to contribute, please contact Kristin Azzarello Hall ’99.

Questions? Contact Us.
Kristin Azzarello Hall '99
Advancement Officer
904-398-7545 x289
hallk@bishopkenny.net