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In many ways, Wally Hurd is a typical parent at All Saints Catholic School in Norwalk: Two children who graduated are now at Trinity Catholic High School and two more, a fifth- and an eighth-grader, at All Saints now. But Hurd goes well beyond that, serving as president of its Home School Association for the past two years. "We're kind of like the PTAs of public schools, but our main focus is fundraising rather than any sort of influence on the operation of the school," he said. "We don't have the tax base of public schools, so we put on events to help keep the school afloat and keep tuition prices down."
The group sponsors a fall Pumpkin Festival, a Father-Daughter dance, a basketball game by the Harlem Wizards and a gala in March, among other events, as part of that effort.
Hurd has been in his position for two years, and this year added the title of athletic director when funding was cut for the school's paid position. "I basically took up the slack," the avid sportsman says. Hurd runs the in-house basketball program, as well as supervising the four travel teams, making sure rosters and schedules are in order, carpools organized for away games, and officials and workers set for home contests. "Once spring comes around I'm involved with Norwalk Athletic Association softball, so someone else will have to fill in," he says, noting that a soccer activity probably will be organized for students by an outside group that uses the school's fields for its own games.
In the meantime, Hurd will keep wearing two hats, raising funds and school spirit in both jobs.
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