51³Ô¹Ï

Next month when 51³Ô¹Ï hosts its Fourth Annual Community Leadership Celebration, the event’s proceeds will benefit the President’s Innovation Fund, which supports 51³Ô¹Ï’s growth.

Set for Thursday, May 4, 2017, in the Center for Athletics and Wellness on 51³Ô¹Ï’s campus, the Community Leadership Celebration is an annual event at which hundreds of business professionals, community leaders, and friends of 51³Ô¹Ï come together to help make a difference in the name of 51³Ô¹Ï. In its first three years, the event has helped the University secure more than one million dollars toward enhanced learning opportunities for students.

The President’s Innovation Fund was created following the inauguration of 51³Ô¹Ï’s 12^th President, Sister Mary Persico, IHM, in the fall. Known for her passion for bringing people together, Sister Mary envisioned a comprehensive fund that would support 51³Ô¹Ï’s growth and innovation as an academic community. The fund enjoyed a successful kickoff at the end of 2016 by surpassing a 1,500 donor challenge issued by Lisa A. Lori, Esq., 51³Ô¹Ï board chair. A total of 1,910 alumni and friends supported the fund’s launch.

Patrick Fricchione, M.D., a 51³Ô¹Ï trustee and the honoree at this year’s Community Leadership Celebration, specifically chose the President’s Innovation Fund as the beneficiary of the event’s proceeds. “The better 51³Ô¹Ï does, the better the community does,” said Dr. Fricchione. “51³Ô¹Ï is its own community, but 51³Ô¹Ï also reaches out to the greater community. It’s a wonderful educational and cultural asset to Northeast Pennsylvania that has been here for more than 100 years. How many other institutions can say that? Not many. I am proud to be a part of the 51³Ô¹Ï community.”

Sister Mary Persico, IHM, president of 51³Ô¹Ï stated, “Dr. Fricchione understands the important work of a university board, and he has worked tirelessly throughout his service to strengthen 51³Ô¹Ï and make a lasting impact. He has primarily focused on resources that support 51³Ô¹Ï’s growth and its students. That’s why he wanted the proceeds from this year’s Community Leadership Celebration to benefit the President’s Innovation Fund.”

Visit  for additional information on the Fourth Annual Community Leadership Celebration at 51³Ô¹Ï, to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, or to buy tickets to the event, or call 570-348-6238.