by Matthew Suh ’24
San Jose, CA — On Monday, May 8th, 2023, hundreds of students gathered around a large dunk tank located on the grass in the quad to watch Bellarmine staff and faculty get soaked in ice-cold water. The Dunk Tank was just one way in which Bellarmine raised donations for Bellarmine’s annual BellsGive campaign, which takes place on Founders’ Day. Every year, the Bellarmine community celebrates Founders’ Day, the day Bellarmine first opened its doors 172 years ago. The BellsGive Fundraiser is designed to raise funds for extracurricular and athletic programs, as well as Direct Tuition Assistance Fund.
At both Community Time (CT) and Lunch, Bellarmine students gathered in the quad to watch teachers and staff, including Mr. Biebel, Mr. McCrystle, Mr. Sigrist, and many more, get dropped in the dunk tank. Students eagerly lined up to make a donation and dunk their favorite teachers and staff. Some students missed the target quite badly, chucking the ball across the Bellarmine quad. Other students precisely nailed the Dunk Tank Target with ease, dropping their teachers into an ice-cold tank of water.
At the conclusion of Founders’ Day, Bellarmine raised $361,501, easily surpassing their goal of $350,000. This year, over one thousand parents, students, and faculty/staff, donated funds to the BellsGive Fundraising Campaign.
A message from the official BellsGive website:
“This truly remarkable achievement would not have been possible without support from the entire Bellarmine community. Your generosity helps ensure that we will be able to continue to provide an outstanding Jesuit education to all of our students.”
If you missed out on Founders’ Day, you can still donate by clicking the link below:
https://bellsgive.org/pages/home-2539
Matthew Suh is a staff writer and contributor for The Bell Online, Fresh Coast Sports, and The Press Box. He is passionate about the intersection of sports and culture and loves to explore the stories behind the games. Follow Matthew on Twitter @matthewsuh.