Welcome
We have been in the throes of the pandemic for a year, yet Ransom Everglades has continued to thrive and grow, and, as you will see in this issue, philanthropy is as strong — if not stronger — than ever.
I could not be more proud of all that our school has accomplished during this enormously challenging year. Our delivery of an outstanding education has continued uninterrupted. Not a day was missed. Thanks to the combination of excellent resources and sheer willpower, our students have been able to come to campus each day and continue with their learning. There have been challenges: social distancing, masking, revised co-curricular schedules, and very limited social activity, but our ambitious faculty and students distinguished themselves as pioneers of REmote RE. Alongside the triumphs, however, there have been excruciating losses, yet we are emerging from the pandemic stronger and more connected than ever.
During this unsettling time, we have been bolstered by a steady stream of support from our community for The Fund for RE and the $75 million REinventing Excellence Campaign. The depth of our community’s commitment to the continued success and growth of RE has been both deeply humbling and inspiring. We have made the decision to bring the first stage of the campaign to closure two years early. We are poised to reach our $75 million goal by June 30, thanks in large part to a very generous challenge by Andy Ansin ’81 and his family. They will donate $5 million to the campaign if we reach $70 million by June 30 — and we have every intention of reaching the summit.
In this issue, you will read several first-hand accounts of why members of our community have chosen to give to RE, for endowment, annual giving or capital projects, and through gifts of cash, securities, challenge gifts, or inclusion in estate plans. Each story is unique, and I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed putting them together for this newsletter. We are always looking for more stories, so please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like to share yours with us.
The Advancement Office will continue to raise funds for the campaign over the next several months, and there are still naming opportunities available for anyone interested. This campaign is for the entire RE community, and every gift counts.
Be safe, stay well, and I look forward to the time when we can once again be in each other’s presence on this beautiful campus by the bay.
Stephanie G. Townsend
Head of School
Stephanie G. Townsend
Head of School
Middle School
2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 250 6850
Upper School
3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 460 8800
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.