Piper Trust Awards $9.8 Million for Grants to 21 Area Organizations

Two Grants Totaling $4 Million Support Bourgade Catholic High School, John C. Lincoln Health Foundation

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. (June 25, 2004) – The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust today announced grant awards of $9.8 million to 21 nonprofit organizations across the Valley.

Among the awards are two grants totaling $4 million to support West Valley organizations – Bourgade Catholic High School and John C. Lincoln Health Foundation.

The Trust awarded a two-year, $3 million lead gift to support Bourgade’s $11.9 million capital project to renovate and expand its facilities.

“This project will allow Bourgade to continue to accommodate its growing and diverse student body while maintaining its commitment to educating the whole person,” said Judy Jolley Mohraz, Trust president.

Since 1998, the school’s enrollment has grown 48 percent, with nearly 400 students currently enrolled. The aging campus facilities require major improvements, and additional classrooms are needed in order for the school to achieve its goal of serving 650 students by 2010.

“New facilities are overdue and are needed now,” said Sister Mary McGreevy, Bourgade’s principal. “This campaign and the changes it will make to our campus and the programs we offer are beyond measure.  It will bring a great deal of hope to our students and families, and the surrounding local community.”

A $1 million Trust grant was awarded to John C. Lincoln Health Foundation to support the expansion of Mendy’s Place, the only after-hours emergency pediatric care facility in the West Valley.

“John C. Lincoln Health Network has an excellent reputation for responding to identified needs within the communities it serves and provides many support services to underserved populations,” said Marilee Dal Pra Trust program officer. “Trust support will allow the organization to expand this facility to serve more children.”

The Network initiated a $56 million hospital expansion project to address current and future needs at its Deer Valley and North Mountain facilities.

“The Northwest Valley is one of the largest growing areas in Maricopa County, and the demands for hospital services continue to rise for the families residing in this community,” said Dan Coleman, John C. Lincoln Health Network’s president.

A two-year, $700,000 Trust grant was also awarded to the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC). Established in 1997, SARRC is the only nonprofit, community-based resource dedicated to serving families, educators, therapists and physicians in all aspects of autism in Arizona.

“Autism is now the most common childhood developmental disability, occurring in one of every 166 children born today,” said Denise D. Resnik, co-founder and board president of SARRC. “Our mission is to model and promote best practices that enhance the quality of life for children and adults with autistic disorders, provide therapeutic services to children, empower families and professionals with information and training, and advance discoveries that ultimately lead to a cure.”

The new 23,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art campus will be located at 18th Street and Van Buren in downtown Phoenix. If all goes as planned, the center will be ready for occupancy this summer.

“We are pleased to support SARRC’s efforts to establish a Campus for Exceptional Children in order to expand its services,” said Dal Pra. “SARRC is becoming a recognized model for comprehensive, community-based autism services and is assisting other groups – nationally and internationally – to establish similar centers in response to the dramatic growth in the number of afflicted children.”

Other awards include a $125,000 grant to Maggie’s Place to establish a temporary shelter in the East Valley for at-risk pregnant women and their families, and a three-year, $1 million grant to Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation to help expand and enhance the camp facility, which serves children with physical and developmental disabilities.