2 minute read
It’s Derby Day at this year’s CAPER
Advertisement
IT WAS A RUN FOR THE ROSES And… They’re Off!
CAPER Returns honoring Rev. Thomas M. Batsis, O.Carm.
To many racing enthusiasts, May 7, 2022 was Derby Day, but for Crespi it was much more. The CAPER spring gala returned as an elegant in-person event on campus after two years of virtual attendance due to the pandemic. With a Kentucky Derby Day theme, Run for the Roses did not disappoint! More than 300 guests raced to Crespi’s campus for CAPER 45 to celebrate former Crespi President Fr. Tom Batsis’ 80th birthday. Fr. Batsis, a Louisville native, had only one request for his party: to return to Kentucky for the Derby. Since we couldn’t take CAPER to Kentucky, Crespi hosted a night of Southern grace, glamor, charm, and hospitality.
Clad in southern suits, fancy dresses, and fascinators, guests enjoyed mint juleps while they shopped the silent auction and precious jewelry tables and picked a winning horse from a vintage Derby race. The campus was adorned with red roses and ivy. The quad was transformed into an elegant clubhouse dining area with green hedge walls and market lights, and attendees were treated to a first-class southern supper.
Sitting at the table of honor, Fr. Batsis was surrounded by family who flew in from Kentucky and many tables of friends and supporters. The evening’s highlights included a video honoring Fr. Batsis, an impromptu roast by former student Rick Flores ’81, and the establishment of the Rev. Thomas M. Batsis Scholarship Fund. The Batsis Scholarship provides financial support to a wide range of students to sustain a socially and economically diverse student population at Crespi. More than $127,000 was raised for the scholarship, with lead gifts from Annette and Tom Conley ’78, Jane and Glen Magpiong ’78, Jackie and Mike Bendix ’78, Pete
Arbogast ’78, Kathleen & Joseph Atencio ’77, Lori and Tom Condon ’78, Tom Carter ’81, and Melissa and Jonathan Schild ’94.
Reflecting on the evening, Fr. Batsis remarked, “It was such a pleasure to experience the love and support of the Crespi community. I am indebted to the many alumni and families, as well as my own family, that were so generous in their financial gifts for the scholarship. Each day, I remember in prayer the donors to the scholarship.” .
