On Nov. 2, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney graciously accepted the Making a Difference Award from the Tri-County Scholarship Fund during its 45th Annual Awards Dinner at Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains, N.J. Bishop Sweeney and two other distinguished honorees were recognized for their leadership, exceptional accomplishments, and commitment to Tri-County’s mission of making quality, values-based, independent and parochial education accessible to the most financially disadvantaged children.
Pictured to the left of Bishop Sweeney are Lindsay Hans (fifth from left), president and co-head of Merrill Wealth Management and a member of Bank of America Corporation’s executive management team, and Deidre Meehan (next to bishop on his right), worldwide vice president and general counsel, Innovative Medicine at Johnson & Johnson, who both received the Tri-County Hall of Fame Award. Also shown in the photo are Prudence Pigott, Tri-County’s president (left), and student scholarship recipients from various Catholic schools in the Paterson Diocese, N.J.
Bishop Sweeney has served on the Tri-County board since becoming the eighth Bishop of Paterson in 2020.
In a tribute video produced by Tri-County for the gala, Bishop Sweeney says, “Being able to visit our Catholic schools gives me a lift, an inspiration. I’m happy to do that because it inspires me. This is why we do what we do — for the children, for these communities, these families.” He also says that he and his sister and brother attended Catholic schools — an experience that helped prepare him for the call to priesthood.
“I’m very hopeful about the future of Catholic education,” Bishop Sweeney says in the video.
Founded in 1981, Tri-County Scholarship Fund raises funds to provide partial K-12 scholarships to financially disadvantaged children in NJ, regardless of race, religion, or national origin, so that they can obtain a quality, values-based education through accredited private elementary and secondary schools, including Catholic schools.
Schools partnering with Tri-County often offer discounted tuition. The families make significant sacrifices to pay their share. This shared responsibility means everyone is invested in these students’ success while they make the most of the educational opportunity.
The Annual Awards Dinner is the largest fundraiser for the New Jersey nonprofit, which has provided over $44 million in scholarships to more than 40,000 students since Tri-County’s inception.
To learn more about Tri-County Scholarship Fund, visit tcsfund.org.
PHOTOS | JOSH CUPPEK / CUPPEK PHOTOGRAPHY
Courtesy Tri-County Scholarship Fund
