Viking Fest 2024

It is with great joy and appreciation that we acknowledge the success of Viking Fest 2024! Viking Spirit radiated throughout the University Center of DeSales University — as alumni, parents, and friends came together to celebrate our 2024 Semper Fidelis Award Honorees. The nearly $160,000 that was raised by our generous Viking Fest sponsors, bidders and attendees will not only fund a new video board in Rockne Hall, but will also greatly benefit our student scholarship and faculty funds. These funds will continue to have a pivotal impact on our Viking and Vikettes’ education and experience at ACCHS. We extend a heartfelt thank you to those who are always faithful to Allentown Central Catholic. The generosity of our sponsors and donors, everyone who contributed to the silent and live auctions, and our student and adult volunteers has made this year’s annual gala a huge success!

We once again congratulate our 2024 Semper Fidelis Award Honorees and thank them for being Always Faithful to our Viking Nation!

Dennis ’60 and Lucille Eddinger

Dennis is a 2001 inductee of the Allentown Central Catholic Wall of Fame and served as a member of both the ACCHS Booster Club and the Alumni Association. In addition to his full-time career, he was also employed part-time in the school’s Finance Department for several years. Dennis volunteered over many decades as our basketball timekeeper. Lucy was hired by Principal Jim Hodrick in the 1990s and worked in both the Development and the Principal’s office until her retirement in 2011. She began volunteering in the Athletic Department in the 1980s and continues to serve as a ticket taker to this day! Dennis and Lucy are members of Assumption BVM Parish in Bethlehem where Lucy serves as an Extraordinary Minister, is on the Hospitality Committee, and assists on the Funeral Ministry Team. Dennis has also served on the Funeral Ministry Team at their parish. They have five children, Debra ’85, David ’87, Donna ’88, Diane ’88, and Daniel ’95 — who all graduated from Allentown Central Catholic — as well as ten grandchildren. Their grandchildren attend Catholic schools both in the Lehigh Valley and in Chicago. Their grandson, Cael, graduated as a Viking in 2021, and their granddaughter, Chelsea will graduate in 2024. Dennis is the son of Ernestine (Pierson) Eddinger, Class of 1936, creating a Viking Family tree of FOUR generations!

Hugh ’61 and Jean (Stalsitz) ’62 Gallagher

Hugh served as the first Development Director at Allentown Central Catholic, paving the way for our school to enter a new phase of Catholic education and leading the way in both advancement and enrollment. He served on the Viking Booster Club including terms as both President and Vice-President, is a 2005 inductee of the Wall of Fame, and as the football statistician. He was instrumental in the founding of Viking Fest. Additionally, he was heavily involved in both the Allentown Recreation Committee and the CYO organization at St. Francis of Assisi as a coach and board member. Jean was very involved both in youth sports as a coach and supporting the Vikings and Vikettes. Hugh and Jean dedicated many years to the Allentown St. Patrick’s Day Parade and were honored as the King & Queen of the Parade in 1995. They have six children who all graduated from Allentown Central Catholic — Hugh ’85, Ed ’86, Sean ’88, Erin ’94, and Megan ’99; fourteen grandchildren, including five – Patrick ’05, Alyssa ’11, Connor ’12, Hugh ’15, and Keelin ’20 — who also graduated from ACCHS…with more to come! They also have three great-grandchildren. The Gallaghers are a FOURTH generation Viking family as Jean’s mother, Mrs. Valeria (Sweeney) Stalsitz, was a member of the Class of 1933.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

PREMIER SPONSOR

Access Point Consulting

William and Patricia Straccia Trust

LOYALTY SPONSORS

Peter & Kathleen Matt

Tim & Suzie Spinosa

The Topper Foundation

VICTORY SPONSOR

American Bank

MD Lieberman Foundation

Service Electric Cable TV

The Sollott Family

VICTORY IN-KIND SPONSOR

AmericaVen

Redd & Co. Fine Jewelers

NOBLE SPONSORS

Hugh & Rochelle Friel

The Gallagher Wealth Management Group/Wells Fargo Advisors

Elizabeth Sullivan Lawrence

Patrick & Rosemary McFadden Family

Jeff & MaryBeth Straccia

St. Thomas More Parish and School

The Walter Family

FAITH SPONSORS

ATAS International, Inc.

Tom, Kimberly, Harrison ’18 & and Davis ’21 Ike

Bill Kanehann

Sarah Lieberman & James Luchansky and Maria Lieberman Smalley & Aaron Smalley

The Meagher Family

Brian A. Sullivan

SPIRIT SPONSORS

Comprehensive Chiropractic

The Dilg Family

Mike & Maggi Fink

Hugh & Christine Gallagher

Kevin & Tracy Hodrick

Hoffman & Hlavac Attorneys at Law

Immaculate Conception Church

Mike & Debbie Kopp

The Lees Family

Eric Groller ’96 owner Lehigh Valley Sight and Sound

Honorable James Martin ’63

Craig & Patricia Peoples

John & Mary Jo Rosenberger

The Roth Law Firm

The Trigiani Family

Peter & Terese Waldron

Mrs. Adrienne (Reichenbach) Motley '97, Director of Alumni Relations

and Assistant Director of Development: amotley@acchs.info