“Looking Back At 2024”

Hawk Alumni Events & Activities

February 2024 – AOH Polar Plunge for Catholic Education

The Alumni Association Hudson Catholic High School, Inc., participated in the 18th Annual Ancient Order of Hibernians Polar Plunge for Catholic Education in Sea Bright. Hawk Alumni Volunteers set up and operated the sound system, donated by LMB Audio Services, (an alumni owned business), on the Sea Bright Beach for “Plungers” and the audience of over 2,000, cheering them on! This event, organized by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Monmouth County Chapter, has to date raised over $2 million dollars in support of Catholic Education in New Jersey. The Alumni Association is proud to be a part of the success of this great event! If you’re in Sea Bright, NJ on Sunday, February 2, 2025 between 10 AM & 2 PM stop by the Hawk Alumni Banner on the Boardwalk, and say hello to the Hawk Alumni sound crew.

The Hawk Alumni Sound Crew, 2024 AOH Polar Plunge for Catholic Education, Dennis Danilewicz, ’71, John Winstanley, ’73 & Larry Basinski, ’70.

Sea Bright, New Jersey Municipal Library, Public Beach and Boardwalk.

March 2024 – Hudson Catholic’s “Wall of Honor”

The installation of the new Wall of Honor banners in the gym is also made possible each year by our Hawk Alumni volunteers.

Coach Rocky Pope Gym Courtyard Wall Banners With 2024 Honorees

Coach Rocky Pope Gym Mercer Street Wall Banners Legacy & Hawk History

April 2024 – 1984 Championship Baseball Team Reunion

The Alumni Association assisted Kaz Szulc, ’84, Bob England, ’83 and Steve Novello, ’84, in producing a wonderful gathering at Val’s Tavern in Rumson, of the 1984 Varsity Baseball Championship Team.

Br. Tim – Coach Rocky Pope and the 1984 Championship Team

This event also provided a wonderful gift of $1,000, from The Novello Family, Doylestown, PA, in honor of Br. Tim Ahern, to the Johanna Ryan & Br. Patrick King Memorial Fund. Both Br. Pat and his Great-great Irish Grandmother were smiling down on all of the “Brothers Boys” this day!

Great group photo of all of the “Old Timers” & Br. Tim, at Val’s Tavern!

May 2024 – Hawk Drama Society Spring Musical

The Association provided funding for the Hawk Drama Society’s spring musical production of “Into The Woods”. The Association and its volunteers also provided the sound, lighting, set design, and set building for the production.

Photo compliments of James Salzano ~ Class of 1969

June 2024 “Hawk Alumni Memorial Funds”

The “Hawk Alumni Memorial Funds” proudly continued its tuition support of our young Hawks, with a donation to the school in the amount of $17,000.00.

This was made possible by the following individual Alumni Donors through their established Memorial Funds.  We thank George Carfora ’71, Brendan Boyle ’71, Thomas Clark ’76, Steve Novello ’84, the friends and family of Michael S. “Cha” Claffey and the Jack Weisberg Charitable Foundation.

The Johanna Ryan & Br. Patrick King FSC Memorial Fund

The Robert “Bobby” Cole Memorial Fund

The Mary & Terence Boyle Memorial Fund

The Don & Pat Clark Memorial Fund

The Joseph Novello Memorial Fund

The Michael S. “Cha” Claffey Memorial Fund

The Anna & Michael Weisberg Memorial Fund

For more information about the “Hawk Alumni Memorial Funds”

June 2024 “The De LaSalle Service Awards Banquet”

The Alumni Association’s annual commitment, sponsoring all of the students attending the De LaSalle Service Awards banquet at the end of the school year is always a wonderful way for us to be able to say thank you and acknowledge the students work exemplifying the Lasallian tradition of “Service To Others”! The donation of over $2,000 to cover the costs for all of the students attending is much appreciated by the students, their families and our school. This is one of the many events that we are proud to continue with our annual support, in recognition of the achievements of our young girls and boys.

A very special thank you to Mr. Frank McGady who each year organizes this wonderful event and to all of our great students for their commitment to the Lasallian Mission at our Alma Mater, Hudson Catholic Regional High School, “The Hawks Nest”.

June 2024 ~ 30th Annual Hawk Alumni Golf Outing

We produced the 30th Annual Hawk Alumni Golf Outing and Luncheon at Galloping Hill Golf Club in Kenilworth, NJ.  The event is our annual major fundraiser. This year we were happy to welcome over 80 golfers along with our returning sponsors. Provident Bank was once again our “Event Sponsor,” along with our ever-faithful Breakfast and Luncheon sponsors, “All Access Staging” & Steve Novello ’84. Through the generosity of all our golf outing sponsors and participants it is possible for our Alumni Association to provide financial assistance to our alma mater, Hudson Catholic High School. Click on the links below, to read the articles and view the photos of the 30th Annual Hawk Alumni Golf Outing.

July 2024 “HCHS Summer Theater” Program

During the summer months the Hawk Drama Society keeps busy and with mounting a musical production. The program includes children from the local grammar schools along with members of the Hawk Drama Society, to give them a taste of life at the Hawks Nest! This is a great recruiting tool thanks to Assistant Principal Sarah Degnan-Barbi. Sarah is the wife of Hawk Alum Fred Barbi ‘86 who along with Frank Martineau ’75 and Larry Basinski ’70 supply the set, lights and sound for the summer theater program.

August 2024 ~ “HATS-Hawks At The Shore”

Once again the school’s 4th Annual “HATS~Hawks At The Shore” event was a great success. This year  Gary Ferrari ‘73 & Terry Matthews, President/Principal welcomed our first two Hawk Alumnae attending the event, Elena Rodriguez ’16 and Mariam Fouad ’14. Mariam is also our current Alumni Association’s Vice President. Joining Elena & Mariam were current and past Alumni Association officers Bill McGrath ’79, Dennis Danilewicz ’71, Frank Martineau ’75 and Larry Basinski ’70 for a wonderful afternoon for our Hudson Catholic Alumni Family.

Mariam, Larry and Elena are Hawk Drama Society Members having a mini reunion at the “4th Annual Hawks At The Shore”!

August 2024 ~ New Rocky Pope Gym

Sound System & New “Light-Box” Lectern

The Alumni Association volunteers installed the new permanent sound and wireless mic system equipment in the Rocky Pope Gym for all sports and event celebrations. The new permanent sound system equipment cost of $1,500 was a gift from the Alumni Association to the school.

Alumni volunteers transformed a very nice ”LightBox Lectern” donated by another New Jersey high school, into a beautiful new addition to the Hawks Nest.

A very special thank you to Ed Socienski ’06 and Ms. Sharon Ziemian for their help with this project. Ed through his business, EZ Advertizing of Lyndhurst, NJ, created and donated the new backlit “Sign of Faith”,  Plexi Panel for the LightBox. Ms. Sharon Ziemian, HCHS Friend, transformed the original blue leather bumpers framing the lectern into beautiful black leather cushions.

October 2024 – Hudson Catholic Fall Open House

The Association participated in the school’s Fall Open House.  A big thanks to Ray Krajewski, ’71, Frank Martineau,’75, and Bill McGrath, ’79, Rob Astudillo ’06 & Larry Basinski ’70 for volunteering every year at this event.  The entire hard copy collection of 56 years of Hawk Yearbooks were made available to all who stopped by the table, for a “trip down memory lane.”

November 2024

Annual Alumni Mass of Remembrance

The Association produced the Annual Alumni Mass of Remembrance in honor of all members of our Hawk Alumni Family who have passed away during the last year. Of course, it was also during this past year that we lost our Alumni Association’s Founding Christian Brother, Brother Luke Maher, FSC, along with Brother Paul Joslin FSC.

December 2024 ~Thank You! To our Faculty & Staff!

The Alumni Association made a $1,200 donation to the school to cover the costs for those faculty attending the 2024 Hudson Catholic Faculty Christmas Party. This donation was made in memory and honor of the six Brothers of Christian Schools, who founded our school in 1964.

We wish to say a great big thank you to all of the school staff and faculty for their service to the Hudson Catholic Regional High School community at “THE HAWKS NEST”!

The Johanna Ryan & Brother Patrick J. King FSC

Memorial Fund

The Alumni Association Hudson Catholic High School, Inc., created the Johanna Ryan King and Brother Patrick J. King, FSC, Memorial Fund in honor of our Founding DeLaSalle Christian Brother, Br. Patrick J. King, FSC.

This fund, which was established in 2005 by Ms. Sharon Ziemian and Larry Basinski, ’70, as a way to say thank you to Br. Pat for his many years of service to Hudson Catholic, to our Alumni Association and especially for being the best “house sitter” for their cats and dogs in the summer months.

Brother Patrick wanted to pay tribute to his Great Great Irish Grandmother, who immigrated to the United States from Ireland, a widow with 5 children in the mid-1800s. Her oldest son Patrick was Br. Pat’s Great Grandfather and whose name Br. Patrick (born Edward Warren King) took as his religious name.

Since 2005, this Fund has provided over $23,000 in tuition assistance to our students and their families. With Br. Patrick’s sudden passing in May of 2023, his name has been added to this fund.  

As in the past, the earmark for all donations to the Johanna Ryan & Br. Patrick King Memorial Fund, is to further the education of our Young Hawks, for programs, and to assist our current families, in meeting the ever-increasing tuition cost of a Lasallian Education at Hudson Catholic Regional High School ~ “The Hawks Nest”! Employer / Corporate  “Matching Gifts” are also greatly appreciated. In most instances the Alumni Association qualifies for “Matching Gifts” because of our 501(c)(3) non-profit status.

For information on how you can honor Br. Pat’s legacy and donate to the “Johanna Ryan & Br. Patrick King FSC Memorial Fund contact Larry Basinski ’70 at 201-332-5970 ex. 140 or by email to:

St. John Baptist de LaSalle Pray for us!

Live Jesus in our hearts…Forever!