DECEMBER

Larson Foundation Makes $20,000 Gift to Mental Health Initiative

The David and Janis Larson Foundation was established in 2015 and focuses on children and youth services, community development, family services, and historic preservation.

1,703

TOTAL DONORS

+237 (16%) INCREASE

The foundation made a generous gift of $20,000 to Rockhurst’s ongoing mental health initiative.

2,368 TOTAL GIFTS $1,319,253 ANNUAL FUND

+404 (21%) INCREASE

Health and wellness initiatives at Rockhurst in the last decade have included Concussion ImPact Baseline Testing, revisioned RHS Brothers Program, Freshman Seminar, hiring a full-time school nurse, sophomore presentations about stress, parent evening sessions, health curriculum added to the Physical Education Department, Signs of Suicide (S.O.S.) Program, and the Freshman Cura Program.

+$214,677 (19%) INCREASE

The Freshman Cura Program, short for cura personalis (cure for oneself) is designed to build on the many pieces of freshman programming by coordinating them more closely together and adding opportunities to reinforce the freshman students’ integration into the Rockhurst community.

Nearly every other morning freshmen have Cura time and will experience one of the following types of intentional engagement:

• Small group visits from school counselors, various student club members and moderators, RHS Brothers, teachers, and others.

• Larger groups of freshmen will meet with Matt Darby ’00, dean of students, and hear guest speakers, or they may simply gather in the Dining Commons for donuts, or join together for a fun bonding activity.

• Occasionally, freshmen may experience special events altogether like class Masses, a club fair, a freshman pep rally, or activities tied into the Freshman Retreat.

$1,023,156 NAMED INVESTMENT FUNDS

$94,822 SPECTACULAR AUCTION

+$268,414 (36%) INCREASE

“Being open to growth is part of the Graduate At Graduation statement for students, and Rockhurst practices the same ideal when it comes to desiring enhanced programming to better serve our students’ needs in the dynamic landscape of mental and behavioral health,” said Chris Bosco, assistant principal for student life. “Gifts like the Larson Family Foundation go a long way toward providing the funding necessary to support current and evolving programming, such as providing additional guest speakers on important topics and bringing resources for evidenced-based peertraining activities to the community.”

-$388,797 (80%) DECREASE

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