SENDING CHRISTMAS CHEER AND PRAYERS TO CINCINNATI

Share this article with a friend.

December 16, 2024

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here. 

Notre Dame Prep fifth graders deliver on the real meaning of Christmas as $1,000 worth of toys brighten the holidays for children and families at Ronald McDonald House in Ohio.

Fifth graders at Notre Dame Prep recently completed a donation drive that led to more than $1,000 worth of toys being delivered to Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati to help brighten the Christmas holiday for the seriously ill young residents there.

This thoughtful initiative was undertaken in honor of Oliver Dugan, a strong little warrior the students have supported in prayer for the past two years. Oliver is the son of NDP alum Christopher Dugan NDP'07 and the grandson of fifth-grade teacher Kathy Dugan. 

Oliver's journey began May 30, 2023, when he was born at 24 weeks weighing 1 pound, 1 ounce, at Ascension Saint John Hospital in Detroit. He was transferred to Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit until August of 2024 when he was airlifted to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, where he now is undergoing care.

Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati, which has been instrumental in providing housing and comfort to Oliver's family since then, was overjoyed to receive the toy donation from NDP's fifth graders.

"Thank you to this amazing class and to all of you sending in toys to help our families make the holidays special for children like Oliver," Ronald McDonald House posted to social media. "Mrs. Dugan and Mrs. Bero's students came together and decided to support families like their friend, Oliver, who are staying in our House."

The toy drive was organized by Jennifer Bero and Kathy Dugan’s students as an alternative to their annual secret Santa gift exchange. 

"The kids eagerly donated money in order to purchase toys for the Ronald McDonald House of Cincinnati, ensuring that families facing medical challenges would have a special gift to brighten their holiday season," Bero and Dugan told representatives at the Ronald McDonald House. "Each toy selected represented not only the students’ generosity but also captured little Oliver’s favorites to share with others."

Bero, an experienced and dedicated educator, has always emphasized the importance of kindness, community service and empathy in her classroom. She encouraged her students to understand the significance of their actions and the impact they could have on the lives of others, particularly children who were facing difficult times. Under her guidance, her class learned the true meaning of giving and the power of collective effort.

Dugan, who has been a fixture at NDP's lower school for nearly 20 years, played a particularly meaningful role in the toy project. As Oliver’s grandmother she has shared Oliver’s birth story and his health journey with the students for the past two years, helping her students understand that their efforts were not only about the toys themselves, but about offering love and support to families who needed it most.

Both fifth-grade classes contributed generously to the drive, ensuring that each child at the Ronald McDonald House of Cincinnati would have a gift to open on Christmas morning. 

Bero and Dugan add that through this meaningful act of charity, the students were able to apply the values of kindness, compassion and service that are core to the Notre Dame Prep mission and the school's Marist Way. 

"Their efforts serve as a reminder that even small gestures can have a lasting impact, bringing light and hope to others, especially during the holiday season," the two teachers said.

 

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndprep.org.