A nearly $2 million gift was recently given to Christ the King School in Little Rock to help with scholarships and other programs, pastor Msgr. Francis I. Malone said.
Aida “Edith” LoPorto Iannuzzi, a native of New Jersey and a member of Christ the King Church since 1976, died on Oct. 29 and gave $1.94 million to the Msgr. Hebert Endowment Fund.
The Iannuzzi trust is the largest single donation given to the church and school and believed to be the largest single donation given to any school endowment fund in the Diocese of Little Rock.
The Christ the King School endowment fund now stands at $3.14 million, Msgr. Malone said. A portion of the interest from endowment is spent each year on program improvements, scholarships and continuing education for teachers.
The pastor said the 90-year-old parishioner did not have any particular connection to the school, but was encouraged by parishioner Francis Beane to consider the endowment fund. Ed Daniels, a parishioner and Iannuzzi’s attorney, assisted in the process of making the school the beneficiary of the trust.
“As a parishioner of the parish, we would hope that all members would have a vested interest in the school,” Msgr. Malone said.
Iannuzzi, who formerly worked as a secretary, was married to Patrick Iannuzzi, an insurance businessman who died about eight years ago. They had no children. She is survived by one brother, John LoPorto of Little Rock.
LoPorto, also a member of Christ the King Church, said the trust was established through money earned by the Iannuzzi family and inheritance from the LoPorto family.
“She never spent a dime,” her brother said. “She was just saving it all along … I’m sure the church and school could use it.”
Currently, fundraisers are held every other year to benefit the endowment fund, principal Kathy House said. Iannuzzi’s gift will be added to the previous donations over the past 12 years to benefit school programs. The fund was renamed after Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert, the former pastor, in 1999 as a way of honoring the priest who started the fund.
“If our schools are going to continue to advance in technology, keep tuition costs low, provide benefit to teachers, all of these and more will ensure a solid future for our school,” Msgr. Malone said.
House said Iannuzzi’s gift would greatly benefit the school.
“The money is to be used for scholarships to help kids attend the school, which will really help,” she said. “Any gift is great. A hundred dollars is a welcome gift. Every penny stays forever in the endowment. Any gift is a gift that will keep on giving.”
In announcing the gift, Msgr. Malone said he hopes other parishioners will remember the school in their wills, trusts and memorials.
“In reality, while we are ever so grateful for those who have contributed to the endowment, now exceeding $3 million, in order for the school to have a safety net for the future and provide for students and teachers alike, the endowment fund must grow substantially over the years.”
Iannuzzi was honored posthumously during the school’s Art from the Heart art auction Saturday, Feb. 3 along with other major donors to the fund, House said. During the auction 31 pieces of art representing each classroom from kindergarten to eighth grade were auctioned off, raising nearly $30,000 for the endowment fund.
Christ the King School will be celebrating its 20th anniversary school year in the fall. The school currently serves 744 students in pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, making it the largest Catholic school in the state.
