Elgin family wins big in school raffle

Brian and Rita Kopp couldn't believe it when the call came telling them they were the winners of a $5,000 gift certificate from Honquest Fine Furnishings.

The certificate was provided for the Holy Family Catholic Academy "Gala Raffle'' to help the winner assemble the room of their dreams.

Enthusiastic parents of a preschooler at the Inverness school, the Kopps had purchased a number of tickets for the event and sold them to friends and family.

With a 2-week-old baby, they were unable to attend the gala April 12 at the Marriott Chicago Schaumburg Hotel.

"'Are you sure it's really us?' was our first reaction,'' said Brian Kopp. "We never win anything.''

But with a new home and four young children, the new three-piece brown leather sectional and pair of tables they purchased are welcome additions to the family room of their new Elgin home.

"My wife had begun making sounds about a new sofa, but having just moved in and then welcoming our new baby, it was something we knew wasn't in the immediate plans for us,'' said Kopp.

Winning furniture was not the Kopps' objective for buying the Gala raffle tickets. Holy Family Academy families began selling raffle tickets after Sunday Masses earlier this year. While the school charges tuition, both a holiday house walk and the annual gala raffle help address the academy's small deficit, provide tuition assistance and help update technology and computer resources.

"We value the quality education Holy Family provides and try to show our support in every possible way,'' said Kopp.

He and his wife were married at Holy Family and their children were baptized there as well.

"The church is a big and important part of our lives and from the time the school opened, we knew we would send our children there,'' said Kopp.

Holy Family Catholic Academy, 2515 Palatine Road, Inverness, has been offering education to students in preschool through eighth grade for six years.

It is the first new Catholic elementary school opened by the Archdiocese of Chicago in 30 years.

Supporting the interest of Holy Family Academy is an example of the leadership Richard and Rachel Honquest have shown in educational and community interests during the 33 years they have been in business in Barrington.

For information about Holy Family Academy, call (847) 907-3452 or visit www.holyfamilycatholicacademy.net.