As All Hallows Catholic High School at East 164th and Grand Concourse prepares to permanently close this June, a student launched a successful fundraiser that helped save the Class of 2025’s last hurrah: their senior prom.
Without a fundraiser, the prom was at risk of cancellation due to ongoing financial struggles at the 115-year-old school, according to Emilia Coronado, whose son, student Ethan Amaya, started the GoFundMe. The Bronx Times contacted Coronado but did not reach her in time for publication.
However, a school official confirmed that prom is indeed on, scheduled for May 21 at Maestro’s Caterers, and that the fundraiser helped secure the event and enable more students to attend. The prom will be open to seniors only, the official told the Bronx Times.
The celebration will likely be bittersweet as the longstanding school near Yankee Stadium prepares to close its doors.
All Hallows’ Board of Trustees announced in January that the school could not continue operating beyond the 2024-2025 school year, citing an operating deficit of $1.7 million and growing, increasing education costs and “plummeting” student enrollment.
The school previously launched its own fundraising effort that ultimately came up short, and despite major adjustments — most notably going co-ed in 2024 in an effort to boost enrollment — the institution could not be saved.
All Hallows is far from alone, as the Bronx and nearby suburbs have seen a wave of recent and forthcoming Catholic school closures, all citing similar reasons.
As All Hallows students now prepare to continue their educational and life journeys elsewhere, they will have an especially meaningful senior prom.
“Prom only happens for you once, don’t let these seniors miss their chance,” said Amaya on the GoFundMe page.
The fundraiser met its goal of $2,000 from just 17 individual donors. The money will cover student tickets and “anything the school wishes to spend it on regarding the prom.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
