Supporting CDH: Parents Give to Co-Curriculars

April 19, 2022

Shannon and Joshua Cunningham, parents of Greta '23 and William '25, have seen their children thrive in some of CDH's many co-curriculars. Seeing first-hand the growth their kids have experienced in these activities, the Cunninghams were glad to support GiveCDH Day: Beyond the Books.

This year's GiveCDH Day: Beyond the Books was on May 4, and donors gave more than $80,000 to enhance co-curriculars!

Meet Shannon and Joshua

Why did you give to Beyond the Books? 

When we first researched CDH for high school, we were very impressed with both the rigor and the variety of classes offered. We were also excited by the many programs and clubs available to complement the academics. The experiences gained and the friendships made in the co-curricular offerings are equally important to the “books.” Our daughter has had a chance to be very involved in quite a few activities, so we split our contribution between all the organizations that she has participated in. This year we have two kids at CDH, so it looks like we’ll be supporting a few more groups!

What do you hope your gift provides to our students?

It takes dedicated staff, interested students, and funding to offer all the clubs, activities, programs, and sports at CDH. We just wanted to offer a little bit of support to keep those programs alive and well for years to come.

Why would you encourage other people to give?

I think being able to help secure the future of something that was important to you as a student or something that is valuable to your kids today is a wonderful way to demonstrate your appreciation for the gifts CDH helps to provide.

What does CDH mean to you?

Even though my husband and I didn’t grow up in St. Paul, we have lived here now for over 20 years. CDH is a special part of the St. Paul community. I love that our kids have grown up on a block with so many neighbors all going to CDH together. It had also provided a sweet connection between my kids and my dad, Robert “Red” McCabe II '43. My father passed away when our kids were very young, but they get to share the wonderful tradition of graduating from the same high school. They can walk through the halls and see his black and white photo on the wall. I know that being a Cretin alum was important to my dad and he would be so proud of what our kids are doing there now.