Mr. Jim Welby is a very well known person in our community. Not only for being our President here at St. Dominic, but also for his own foundation he started with his wife.

After the tragic loss of his daughter, Maggie, in 2005, the Maggie Welby Foundation was created to help families provide education to their children. For the Welby’s it did so much more. 

 “I would say it’s honestly the single thing that helped us work through losing Maggie. We started Maggie’s foundation selfishly, We started it to help other people, we knew we wanted to do that, but also to help us be able to channel our energy and grief into something that was positive, but also to keep her memory alive through the lives of people she knew or would’ve come to know in the future,” Welby said.

From the beginning of this foundation, it has always had faith in the forefront because leaning on faith is what kept people involved with the foundation going.

“In all sincerity, without having our faith and the people who surround us in our faith and our Catholic community, I’m not sure I’d still be here today. Without people who help continue to make us believe that Maggie’s is in a place where one day we’d be able to see her again, I honestly don’t know if we would’ve survived,” said Welby.

With Mr. Welby working with Catholic schools, this only helped more with allowing them to spread the word about their foundation and even using their facilities to use for fundraisers much like St. Dominic does by allowing them to use their gym for their trivia. In return the foundation helps to send more kids to these schools so they can learn through God by giving out grants and scholarships.

“I’m in my 23rd year of teaching in the Archdiocese, so it’s always been a part of who we are, and it’s helped us to understand that there are a lot of people who really want a Catholic education that can’t afford it without help. I think when starting Maggie’s foundation it was definitely a priority for us to help those families so that they can have the same experience that our kids have. And it would also be surrounded by things that we believe in and have committed our life and our vocations to,” said Welby.

Through all of the hardship and helping hands, this foundation has created a loving and caring community on its own. With annual golf tournaments and trivia, it’s very common to see familiar faces. While raising money to help those who need it is always the goal, these get-togethers also provide an emotionally supportive environment for all involved as they are filled with people doing things purely out of the goodness of their heart. 

“It’s unbelievable, to think that 18 years removed from that night that hundreds and thousands of people that know her, that still have an understanding of what she meant in her short time of seven years, on this earth and then to know her impact that her life can still have on other people is awesome… we never dreamt of this when we started this foundation, ” Welby said.

By being around this foundation all my life, I have seen how it has directly and indirectly helped everyone who’s ever been around it. Maggie’s name has touched the hearts of many and has been able to help so many people. I have been lucky enough to help out a few times and can attest that this is something everyone should try and get involved with. You will meet amazing people and really make an impact. If you want to learn more or find ways to contribute go to the Maggie Welby Foundation website which will be linked. 

https://www.maggiewelby.org