Winter 2016

From left to right, James West, Antoinette Gullatt-West ’81, Ben Sparks ’87
and Andy Sparks.
From left to right, Barry Woods, Dan Francis, Erik Okada and Una Gilmartin.
O’DOWD THANKS
TOP SUPPORTERS
Nearly 125 supporters of Bishop O’Dowd High
School gathered for a reception held in the
LEED-platinum certified Center for Environmental
Studies (CES) on Aug. 23 to celebrate the school’s
impressive accomplishments made possible by
philanthropy.
As the event attendees, including current and past
parents and alumni, mingled with one another they
enjoyed tasty gourmet pizza, freshly baked in the new
wood fire pizza oven located on the CES plaza, and
an assortment of passed hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
President Steve Phelps welcomed the group, thanked
them for their generosity, and pointed out several
improvements completed over the summer – the amphitheater
and propagation center that includes two
greenhouses – located adjacent to the CES.
Phelps noted that over the last 10 years, supporters
have donated funds totaling over $25 million for both
facility upgrades and program enhancements, and
gave special acknowledgement to the Class of 2019
parents who have pledged more than $1.3 million to
O’Dowd through the parent pledge program.
He also provided an update on the school’s Master
Plan, which includes plans to acquire the nearby 20-
acre Seneca tract and reservoir.
Ultimately, the Master Plan calls for a pedestrian centered
campus with program innovation and facility
upgrades that support the transformative learning
experience at O’Dowd. This includes a nine-lane
track and full competition playing field, with seating
capacity for 1,500, for soccer, lacrosse, rugby and
football to be built on the Seneca property. With that
project completed, the current football field would be
converted into a parking area that could accommodate
up to 200 cars.
26 // Dragon