Thursday, May 09, 2013

Jack Galassini Named Harbin Distinguished Service Award Winner

Anne Ceasar, Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School president along with Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's 2013 Charlie Harbin Distinguished Service Award winner Jack Galassini, his wife Patricia.

Jack Galassini was honored by Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School on May 6, as the 2013 Charlie Harbin Distinguished Service Award winner for his volunteerism to the school.  The Charlie Harbin Distinguished Service Award was established by the Harbin family and awarded by the school to recognize those selfless individuals who have significantly served Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School and exemplified its values in their lives.  

Jack's support of Montgomery Catholic spans three decades, beginning in the mid 1980’s and through the mid 1990’s while his three children were students at the school. He continued into the new millennium where he served as the emcee for several school events including our annual school spring fundraiser and filled in wherever and whenever he was asked.

Many activities kept Jack volunteering at Montgomery Catholic over the years. He was involved with Back to School nights, picnics, rummage sales, and hosted school Halloween parties at his home. He was a School Board member and a Booster Club member who was instrumental in getting the club started. He created Booster Buddies which helped increase attendance at Booster Club meetings, helped with Legislative Conventions, SACS Accreditation, and provided the school with extensive knowledge and ideas for the “Faith in Education” Capital Campaign which enabled the school to expand adding the Belke Lab, Middle School, and Athletic Fields. Supportive of the students and staff, Jack was always there whether it was to write recommendation letters for students or allowing the school to use his office for meetings or serving on a search committee. He was invaluable in the planning and success of the annual Seafood Dinner held for years as a school fundraiser.  He never said no to committee work; he was active in the PTC and both girls and boys athletics.

An active member of St. Bede Parish for more than 40 years, Jack serves as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister. He has served on the Parish Council and as Deanery Chair for the Catholic Charities Campaign. He has been a President of the Montgomery United Way. Currently, Jack serves on numerous civic boards, and he is a TV host.

With service many times behind the scenes, Jack has been involved with the school in almost every area. He worked all the fun activities but also took on major leadership responsibilities on committees and in the often difficult job of fundraising. He did it out of love for the school, its students, and the entire Montgomery Catholic community.