Former Boston Celtic Gordon Hayward will return to Massachusetts as the guest speaker at the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education’s annual fundraising dinner.
The event is set for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at White’s of Westport, 66 State Road, according to a community announcement.
Now in its 31st year, FACE has provided more than $20 million in scholarships to students attending Catholic schools within the Diocese of Fall River.
Hayward, who played in the NBA for 14 seasons, including three in Boston, recently converted to Catholicism, receiving his sacraments of initiation in Rome in 2024. At the upcoming dinner, he will share his journey to Catholicism.
In a video post about the event, Hayward described himself as “a big supporter of Catholic schools,” noting that four of his children are now enrolled in one in their home state. He said he is honored to be part of this year’s Fall Dinner to support the “amazing” work of FACE.
FACE provides need-based tuition assistance and scholarships to low-income families, ensuring access to Catholic education. Since its inception, FACE has given thousands of elementary, middle and high school students the opportunity to attend a Catholic school within the Diocese of Fall River.
Andrew Raposo, principal of Espirito Santo School in Fall River, recently spoke about the critical support provided by FACE.
“Year after year, I talk with parents and students who are extremely thankful for the generosity of FACE, and its many donors,” Raposo said. “I cannot overstate the importance that these scholarships provide not only to our students, families and staff, but to our schools as a whole. In the end, we are able to bring more people into our schools and churches and closer to our faith community.”
John Feitelberg, president of HUB International, and Janna Lafrance of Lafrance Hospitality are the co-chairs for this year’s FACE Scholarship Dinner.
As part of the evening’s program, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha will present the Timothy J. Cotter Friend of Catholic Education Award to the Makkay family of Centerville, honoring their commitment to Catholic education and their long-standing support of FACE.
For tickets to the event or for more information, visit FACEfalldinner.org.
This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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