St. John’s Northwestern Academies (SJNA) announced today that The Rick Leone Challenge Match Campaign has achieved its expanded goal of $3 million. The campaign supports multiple areas including the newly created Rick Leone Scholars Program, tuition assistance for other Military Academy cadets, support of athletic programs, and other direct and indirect needs of St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy.
John Leone, president and CEO of Bonney Forge, has been a member of the SJNA Board of Trustees since 2013. He and his family have been generous supporters of SJNA for decades. This campaign was named to honor his son, Rick Leone, who sadly passed away in April 2012. Rick, who graduated in 1975 from the Academy, was a stand-out athlete, well-respected by his coaches, teammates, and military leadership.
The campaign launched on March 8, 2021, with an initial goal of raising $2 million based on a matching gift of $1 million from John Leone. “Our community rallied quickly behind this campaign and we achieved the $2 million goal much faster than anyone anticipated,” said Michael Henn, SJNA Board Chair. “John then raised the bar by adding another $500,000 to his initial $1 million matching gift, enabling the successful achievement of the $3 million goal.”
The impact of The Rick Leone Challenge Match Campaign has already been felt on the Delafield campus. Initial phases of restorative spending projects are now underway which will directly benefit the Corps of Cadets. Additionally, on May 29, 2021, ten cadets were named as Rick Leone Scholars for the 2021-2022 academic year. “Having the opportunity to meet each of these talented young leaders and bestowing them with a medal that honors my son, Rick, was a very special moment for me and my family,” said John Leone.
The campaign comes amid a series of recent and exciting announcements from St. John’s Northwestern Academies. “The Rick Leone Challenge Match Campaign is already helping to bring our strategic vision for the Military Academy to reality,” said MG Paul Lima, President of St. John’s Northwestern Academies. “The Leone Family has truly been a blessing to SJNA, and we are so very grateful for their leadership, inspiration, and continued support.”
