Fenwick annually hosts many special events and the Institutional Advancement Department regularly collaborates with several affinity groups to support their various events throughout the year. These events include “institutional” fundraising events, young alumni and regional alumni events and reunions, the Fenwick Bar Association and Fenwick Business Council events, as well as Mothers’ Club and Fathers’ Club events.
INSTITUTIONAL FUNDRAISING EVENTS
Held annually in spring, the Blackfriars Gala is Fenwick’s largest community event. It is a dinner dance and auction that is a celebration of all things Fenwick, including honoring Fenwick Hall of Fame inductees and the recipient of the Lumen Tranquillum award.
Held annually in June, the Friar Classic Golf Outing is a fun Friday of golf, friendly competition, camaraderie among Fenwick alumni and friends of all ages.
Pass the Torch
Held annually in the fall, the Pass the Torch golf outing is a premier golf event at a highly regarded local course. The evening program honors the matriarch and/or the patriarch of a multi-generation Fenwick family who exemplifies the ethos of "lead, achive, and serve" with the Pass the Torch award.
Fenwick hosts a number of events each year aimed at engaging the Friar family and building our community. These events take place at Fenwick, in the surrounding community, and around the country.
REUNIONS
Each year all alumni who graduated 50 years ago or more are invited to return to Fenwick to celebrate Mass, renew old friendships over lunch and reminisce about the school they cherish.
Alumni of all classes are welcomed back to a series of events during Homecoming Weekend in the fall.
Fenwick celebrates reunions every five years; during the fall of 2017, class years ending in 2 and 7 will gather. Other individual classes also celebrate reunions annually.
FENWICK YOUNG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Throughout the year the Fenwick Young Alumni Association hosts a number of service events at which alumni and friends can give back to their community. These opportunities include volunteering at Ronald McDonald House, Working Bikes Organization, ice cream social fundraisers, and more.
The Fenwick Young Alumni Association runs a toy drive each winter to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. The toy drive culminates at the annual FYAA Christmas Party each December.
Each summer the Fenwick Young Alumni Association hosts a boat cruise on Lake Michigan.
REGIONAL ALUMNI EVENTS
Fenwick hosts a number of events for alumni and friends outside of the Chicago area each year. Last year events were held in California, Florida, New York, Arizona, and Boston. The first regional event this year will be in Washington D.C. Click here for more information about regional alumni events.
Each year the institutional advancement office collaborates with our wonderful affinity groups to support a number of special events.
PARENT COMMUNITY
Freshmen Family Welcome Mass and Picnic
Each August at the beginning of the school year, the Fathers’ Club hosts a welcome mass and picnic for all incoming freshmen and their families.
Jointly hosted by the Fenwick Mothers’ and Fathers’ Clubs, Oktoberfest is a social evening for the Fenwick parent community to get to know one another and have fun.
Each fall around All Souls’ Day, the Fenwick community gathers in prayer to remember those in our community who have passed away.
Grandparents’ Day
Held this fall on Wed., October 11, Grandparents Day celebrates the role that grandparents and other family and friends play in the lives of Fenwick students.
The Fenwick Mothers’ Club and Father’s Club regularly host events throughout the school year to provide social and service opportunities to current and former Fenwick parents.
FENWICK BAR ASSOCIATION
Annual Christmas Party
The Fenwick Bar Association hosts a Christmas party every year at which members and anyone else interested in the legal profession are invited to socialize and network.
The Fenwick Bar Association co-sponsors a reception prior to the Howlett Cup. The Howlett Cup is a mock trial competition for Chicago-area Catholic high schools. Members of the Fenwick Bar Association are invited to socialize and network prior to rooting on the Fenwick mock trial team during the competition.
Each spring the Fenwick Bar Association honors a member of the Fenwick community for meritorious service to the legal profession at the annual Accipiter Award Luncheon.