The Choir’s non-stop month began with a headline appearance at Leo’s fourth annual Scholarship Benefit dinner held at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Bob Sheehy ’71, longtime Chairman of the Leo Advisory Board, was this year’s Leo Lions Legacy Award recipient, cited for his efforts in keeping Leo alive and thriving after the Irish Christian Brothers’ pullout in 1992, as well as his work with the Mulliganeers charitable organization, of which Bob is a founding member.
In addition to the choir’s performance, the capacity crowd of 300-plus was treated to a “Leo today” panel discussion featuring principal Shaka Rawls, football coach Michael Holmes and students Sammy Pack, Pierre Miller and Kaleb and Kevin Drumgoole. Bob Sheehy then shared reminiscences on a “Leo Then and Now” panel with previous Legacy Award winners Andy McKenna ’47 and Bill Conlon ’63.
A rousing rendition of the Leo Fight Song brought the evening to a close, but not before a substantial amount of money was raised to benefit the Leo Scholarship Fund. Thanks to the success of the dinner, Leo is in position to offer generous financial aid to the increasing number of deserving young men who are finding their way to Leo in search of the quality, faith-based education the school has been providing for 94 years.
Meanwhile, the Choir would be back downtown for an appearance at the Harold Washington Library. St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Naperville, the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Agency and the Harold Washington Cultural Center in Bronzeville were among the other sites playing hosts to the Choir during its busy December.