Scholarship Fund to Honor Aeropostale at Annual Fundraiser

Aeropostale, the internationally-recognized specialty retailer of casual apparel and accessories known for its commitment to "Scholarship Through Sponsorship", will be honored with the Vitae Discimus Award at the 23rd Annual Scholarship Dinner of The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children (SFIC) on Thursday, May 3, at Mayfair Farms, West Orange, beginning at 6 p.m. 

For the past three years, Aeropostale has been the presenting sponsor of the SFIC's annual High School Basketball Festival.

Mike Quick, host of "New Balance High School Weekly" on the MSG Network, will serve as the dinner chairman.   

Each year, some 300 individuals and organizations gather at the Scholarship Dinner to celebrate the achievement and dedication of its student beneficiaries, and stand in support of parents and family seeking quality educational alternatives.

This is the premiere event for the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children, which in its almost 25 year history has provided scholarships for needy children to attend private and parochial schools in New Jersey.   In affiliation with the Archdiocese of Newark, SFIC provides disadvantaged youngsters with the opportunity to receive quality value-based education through scholarships primarily to Catholic elementary and secondary schools in New Jersey's Essex, Hudson, Bergen and Union Counties.

SFIC is the only organization in this area that provides such assistance to elementary and high school students.   Non-Catholics represent some 90 percent of SFIC scholarship recipients.  Similarly, 90 percent of the SFIC high school scholarship recipients go on to higher education.

Past recipients of the Vitae Discimus Award - "We Teach by our Lives" - include David A. (Sonny) Werblin, Hon. Thomas H. Kean, Jerry Izenberg, Bob Hurley, PSEG & James Ferland, Prudential Financial, Leonard S. Coleman, Jr., Saul Fenster, and Ronan Tynan.

Since its first year of operation in 1983, the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children has funded more than 40,000 scholarships totaling more than $22 million. Its partnership with the Children's Scholarship Fund, a national organization, has enabled the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children to increase funding over the past eight years. Together they are funding scholarship programs for children in Newark, Jersey City, and Elizabeth.  

During the 2006-2007 school year alone, the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children provided $1.6 million in scholarships to some 1,600 students. All scholarship funds are raised from concerned individuals, corporations and foundations that share the view that many local and national problems can be solved only by making people self-sufficient through education.

Note to Editors: Media is welcome to attend this event, and interview opportunities will be available.   Please contact Jim Goodness at 973-497-4186 if you plan on covering this year's dinner.