Hoa Quách | Uptown News
San Diego’s only all-girl school hopes to capitalize on the growing craft beer and food truck obsession.
The Academy of Our Lady of Peace (OLP), which will enter its 133rd school year this fall, will host its inaugural “Endless Summer Suds and Sausage” event on Friday, Aug. 15 at its North Park location.
“We are opening our school,” said OLP’s head of school Lauren Lek. “This is the first of many events that we’ll have to bring our community to our campus.”
The event will feature local craft breweries such as Ballast Point, Lightning Brewery and Lost Abbey. Food will be provided by two food trucks, Mastiff Sausage and Ms. Patty Melt.
The three-hour event will be complete with a live performance from local band, the Baja Bugs, a Beatles cover band. The fundraiser takes place at the school’s north terrace overlooking Mission Valley.
About 10 volunteers are organizing the event. They hope to raise $10,000 and attract 300 attendees, said OLP’s director of fundraising Margot Howard.
The funds will go to OLP’s Carondalet Annual Fund, which pays for items such as upgrading technology or purchasing new textbooks.
Howard said the idea of a “casual fundraiser” formed among the alumnae.
“We have some younger alums who thought this would be a super way to bring in our neighbors,” Howard said. “We want to be trendy too.”
But the school hopes to do more than just raise funds.
Lek, who has been with OLP for two years, said it’s a chance for the school to share its history and successes.
“It’s really an exciting time in our history,” Lek said. “We want to share our stories.”
The high school serves 750 students and is an independent Catholic school sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The school does not receive public funding and typically spends about $2.6 million on tuition assistance for its students.
“It’s a huge commitment that we’ve made to our students,” Lek said. “It’s remarkable.”
The commitment is worth every dollar, Lek said, especially when looking at the successes of the students.
“OLP is a unique environment where girls are given a global perspective and taught how to use their knowledge to be a leader,” said Lek, who mentioned notable alumnae such as Paola Avila from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and Ann Navarra from Jerome’s Furniture.
OLP graduates continuing their education have also received an impressive amount of scholarships. Lek said last year’s graduating class received about $17.8 million in merit-based scholarships for college.
Howard, who has worked with OLP for two years, agreed with Lek.
“My daughter is a graduate of this school,” Howard said. “It’s a real wonderful opportunity for young women to find their voice and to develop a great sense of self.”
The school’s mission is what drove Lost Abbey to sponsor the August event, donating about $400 worth of beer.
Adam Martinez, Lost Abbey’s marketing manager, said the brewery’s founder Tomme Arthur received a similar education.
“It very much reflects his upbringing and who he is today,” said Martinez, who receives hundreds of donation requests a year. “OLP stood out to him when they reached out and we said ‘yes.’”
The 21+ event will take place from 5 – 8 p.m. at the school at 4860 Oregon St. Tickets are $35 each and include a commemorative pint glass, one craft brew and one sausage or hot dog.
For more information or to purchase a ticket, visit aolp.org.
