Students from more than a dozen Catholic schools and religious education programs across Western New York raised nearly $30,000 for Appeal 2026 as part of this year’s Catholic Charities Cup. The annual fundraising competition, hosted by Catholic Charities of Buffalo, honors high schools, elementary schools, and faith formation programs that participate in raising funds for the Appeal. The top school/program in each division is awarded the Catholic Charities Cup trophy and a victory party.
This year’s Catholic Charities Cup winners are:
- Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart won the High School Division raising $2,521
- Mark School in Buffalo won the Elementary School Division raising $4,335
- Life Long Faith Formation Ascension and Resurrection Parish in Batavia won the Faith Formation Division raising $1,124
This marks the third year in a row Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart has taken the top spot in the high school division, where students at four high schools raised a total of $8,019. St. Francis High School in Athol Springs submitted an additional $3,324 in donations to the Appeal after the contest deadline.
Additionally, students at 10 different elementary schools contributed a record-breaking $19,085, raising the money through dress-down days, bake sales and even a school-wide carnival.
Overall, the students, staff, and families from all of the participating schools raised $29,895, which is approximately $18,000 more than last year’s Catholic Charities Cup total. The average raised by each participating school and faith formation program also increased from about $502 in 2025 to nearly $1,495 in 2026.
