For the second consecutive year, Christian Brothers Academy saw its March Madness Giving Challenge draw a record number of alumni participants.

The three-day campaign featured a tournament in which each of the school’s 55 alumni classes competed to show their school pride. In total, 489 alumni participated, which is nearly 100 more than the 2018 Challenge.

After three days of tremendous alumni competition that raised over $32,000, CBA’s Class of 1984 was crowned the “2019 Challenge Champion.” It is the second year in a row, and three in four years, that the Class of 1984 won the title.

“Thanks to all of the alumni who participated in this year’s March Madness event, and congratulations to our winner: class representative Joe Hanney and his Class of 1984,” President Brother Frank Byrne ’75 said. “In the end, it is our students who ultimately benefit from the generous support of our alumni.”

To participate, alumni amass points for their class by donating and rallying classmates to do the same. Every alum who joins the Challenge receives a point for his class total, while cumulative donation totals and participation numbers earned each year more points once they surpassed certain designated amounts.

Tuesday served as the first round of the Challenge, with all 55 classes competing. On Wednesday, the top sixteen were entered into the Sweet Sixteen bracket, which was narrowed down to Thursday’s Final Four championship round.

The Class of 1984 was followed closely by the Class of 1982. The classes of 1971 and 1995 rounded out the top four.

The winners from 1984 recorded the most individual participants with 64. The Class of 1995 was second with 56 individual participants. The Class of 1982 recorded 44 participants, while the Class of 1971 notched 33.

In terms of donation leaders, the Class of 1984  raised $7,150, with the Class of 1982 totaling $6,020.

The final four classes will be honored at an invite-only celebration at the Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten in June.

Christian Brothers Academy would like to thank all the alumni who accepted the challenge in 2019!