SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
$3.3 million expansion marks first major improvement to school in 60 years
Our Lady of the Snows School is breaking ground on the E. L. Wiegand Science and Technology Center on Tuesday, March 15 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Snows School, 1125 Lander Street, Reno. Media are invited to attend this event. Photo and interview opportunities will be available.
The E. L. Wiegand Science and Technology Center is projected to be 11,150 square feet. It will house a science laboratory, state-of-the-art computer lab and several new classrooms. The project will take approximately eight months to complete.
Participating in the groundbreaking are: Bishop Randolph Calvo, Bishop of the Diocese of Reno; Kristen Avansino, president and executive director of the E. L. Wiegand Foundation; Fr. Tony Vercellone, O.L.S. pastor; Tim Fuetsch, O.L.S. school principal; Rick Reviglio, school board president; Gloria Romero, parish council president; Kitty Bergin, superintendant of Catholic schools; Brian Kernan, project director at Q & D Construction, and Michael Quilici, Chief Development Officer for the Diocese of Reno.
This $3.3 million expansion is the result of Our Lady of the Snows successfully meeting a generous $1 million challenge grant from the E. L. Wiegand Foundation. The $1 million in grant funds, combined with more than $2 million in donations, pledges and savings, makes this expansion possible.
This groundbreaking marks the first major improvement to the school since it was built 60 years ago.
Our Lady of the Snows School opened on September 4, 1951 with four classrooms and three faculty members: two Dominican sisters and one lay teacher. Over the next two years, enrollment steadily increased and four more classrooms were added, bringing Our Lady of the Snows to its current size. No significant expansion has been completed since that time. Over the past 60 years, nearly 2,000 students have graduated from the K – 8 Catholic school.
For more information on the school groundbreaking, please contact Lisa Laughlin at Our Lady of the Snows Parish Office at 775-323-6894.
