Believe It! Campaign to Raise Enrollment in Catholic Schools to be Launched Tuesday, Feb. 1, 10 - 11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception School in Downtown Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, Jan 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Who:

Tons of snow will create a winter paradise for inner-city children on Tuesday, Feb. 1, when over 250 children will earn their "snow angel wings" – launching the citywide Believe It! Campaign. Catholic schools are at risk across the city. Low enrollment and declining resources jeopardize these schools and the students' dreams for a better education and a better life. But the schools can – and should -- be saved. A Loyola Marymount University study said that Catholic schools in Los Angeles provide a safe, affordable and high-quality education for students. More than 98 percent of the children in the study who were educated in Catholic schools advanced to higher education.

Mary Elizabeth Galt, B.V.M., chancellor for schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the largest archdiocese and Catholic school system in the U.S. will speak and be available for interviews; parents, teachers, students also will be available for interviews. Danny Farmer, a product of Catholic schools and former football star at Loyola High, UCLA and the NFL, will throw out the first snowball and play volleyball and basketball with the kids. Farmer will also be available for interviews on the value of his Catholic education and how it helped him succeed in sports and life.

Believe It! is the message at historic Immaculate Conception School, where first lady Nancy Reagan escorted Pope John Paul II during his visit to the city. City children rarely enjoy a winter snow experience, but on Tuesday morning it "snows" in Los Angeles. Tons of snow will fall on the school grounds beneath the L.A. skyline. The Snow Rally occurs during Catholic Schools Week, celebrating the remarkable contribution of Catholic schools: serving over 80,000 students with safe, affordable, high-quality schools throughout Los Angeles. Catholic schools in the Los Angeles area have 30,000 "open seats" available without restrictions on race, ethnicity, religion or ability to pay.

WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011, Immaculate Conception School, 830 Green Avenue at 8th Street, Los Angeles, 90017, two blocks west of L.A. Live and Staples Center (easy access is available through the gates off 8th Street, just east of Union Avenue. "Snow" begins at 10 a.m., speakers available for interviews approximately 10 a.m. to noon. Excellent VIDEO and PHOTO opportunity: downtown skyline and kids in the "snow."

Contact Meggan McCarthy for information or advance interviews 213.674.4346, Ext. 228 or [email protected]. B-roll video is available. English and Spanish speakers also will be available for interviews.

SOURCE Catholic Education Consortium