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wilmettebeacondaily.com NEWS
the wilmette beacon | November 14, 2019 | 17
Loyola Academy graduate raises $1.5M
for high school scholarships at annual gala
Erin Yarnall
Contributing Editor
Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 2 days ago
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In a room filled with supporters
and donors of the
Daniel Murphy Scholarship
Fund, Jim Murphy, a
co-founder of the scholarship
organization sat
proudly, watching as the
organization raised more
than $1.5 million to help
fund private high school
education for students.
Murphy, a Highland
Park native who graduated
from Wilmette’s Loyola
Academy personally felt
the impact of a private high
school education.
He believes that by attending
Loyola Academy,
he was able to receive a
better education, which
helped further him in his
life. He wanted to be able
to offer that opportunity
to other children who are
beginning to think about
the high schools they may
want to attend.
“They’ve worked hard to
get into the position where
they could use a better education,”
Murphy said.
So 30 years ago, Murphy,
along with his brother,
Lake Forest resident Robert
Murphy, founded the
Daniel Murphy Scholarship
Fund, naming it after
their father — the man who
afforded the brothers the
opportunity to attend a private
high school.
Murphy said although
Highland Park High School
is a good school, his father
wanted to give his children
the opportunity to attend a
private school, and worked
“various blue collar jobs”
to able to afford his sons’
education.
“It was just something
he wanted to do,” Murphy
Loyola Academy graduate Jim Murphy is acknowledged in the crowd at the Daniel
Murphy Scholarship Fund’s annual gala, Sept. 28, in Chicago. Photos submitted
said.
Throughout its history,
the organization has awarded
scholarships to more
than 2,600 students. The
Daniel Murphy Scholarship
Fund currently services
460 students in 80 different
schools, according to
Murphy. He said each year
the organization receives
between 1200-1400 applications,
which are whittled
down through a lengthy interview
process.
“We try to put [these
kids] in the best places,”
Murphy said.
The organization receives
donations from “thousands”
of donors, according to
Murphy, which helps to sustain
the fund and continue to
put students through private
high schools.
“We quickly found out
we have an interesting
model that people liked,”
Murphy said. “We raised
money from thousands of
donors all year.”
At the organization’s annual
gala, held Sept. 28 at
the Revel Fulton Market
in Chicago’s West Loop,
Donors Justin (from left) and Erin Foley, of Lake Forest,
smile with fellow donors Brian and Colleen Gelber, of
Winnetka at the event.
more than $1.5 million
was raised. The event was
chaired by donors Mike
and Lindy Keiser, and honored
donors Loretta and
Bob Cooney.
“I’m proud of what a
great job that the people
who are running it today
are doing,” Murphy said.
He served as president
for the first nine years of
the organization, and now
Jim and Robert Murphy
have left the organization
in other hands while Jim
is employed in Chicago
and Robert is employed in
Northbrook.
But they’re still proud
of the connection that the
organization has with their
father.
“My father was a wonderful
man that understood
the value of hard work and
education,” Murphy said.
“I felt it was the right thing
to do, to start it and put it in
his name. Sure enough, it’s
grown beyond our wildest
expectations, and I think it
will be around for a long,
long time.”
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(847) 409-6260
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(847) 401-4005
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(847) 772-9635
Maureen
Ryan
(847) 630-5742
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