Kolbe Conversations #8 “Let’s Talk About The Majors”

Please join us for the eighth edition of our Kolbe Conversations celebrity breakfast series to benefit Kolbe Cathedral Preparatory School. Themed “Let’s Talk About The Majors”, our featured guest will be Gene Wojciechowski, who will provide a 2026 recap of The Masters and PGA Championship and preview the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. Gene has spent more than 40 years as a sports reporter, at the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News and Chicago Tribune, and later joining ESPN, where he served as a writer and on-air features reporter on the network’s golf coverage, SportsCenter and College GameDay. He has covered almost every significant sporting event in the world, including nearly 75 golf majors, and done ESPN stories on and with the most consequential players in the game: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Gary Player. His work has earned him multiple Sports Emmys and Edward R. Murrow Awards, as well as recognition from the Golf Writers Association of America. He is a New York Times bestselling author who has written or co-written thirteen books, including The Last Great Game and Kirk Herbstreit’s memoir, Out of the Pocket. His latest book, All Carry, was released on March 31,2026 and is his fictional debut. It features a recently laid-off golf reporter, a down-on-his-luck Tour caddie and a magical set of clubs once owned by Jack Nicklaus. It is a funny, feel-good, ” inside the ropes” novel as well as a touching father/son/unlikely friendship comeback story that will be a new classic. All breakfast participants will receive a copy of the book.

Wojciechowski is the Edward J. Meeman Distinguished Professor at the University of Tennessee, his alma mater. He and his wife, Cheryl, live in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Wheaton, Illinois.

Gene will be introduced and interviewed by his long-time ESPN colleague and fellow author, Ivan Maisel, as well as 11-time Emmy winner Armen Keteyian.

Register Now!
Register Now!
Presenting Sponsor: $10,000 – (SOLD)
Table Sponsor: $2,000 (includes one table/8 seats with branding, inclusion in printed program, pre and post event publicity)
Individual Tickets: $150 per person

All guests will recieve a copy of the book “All Carry”.

Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, CT

Thursday, June 18, 2026.

7:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Presenting Sponsor:

O’Herron Family Foundation

Kolbe Conversations #7 “Let’s Talk Basketball”

Please join us for the seventh edition of our Kolbe Conversations celebrity breakfast series to benefit Kolbe Cathedral Preparatory School. Themed “Let’s Talk Basketball”, our featured guest will be former Husky Hassan Diarra. Diarra spent three years at UConn and is a two-time national champion. In his first year at UConn in 2022-23, he was a key reserve on a team that went 31-8 and won the programs fifth national title. He ramped up his role in 2023-24 and won the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award on a team that won a program record 37 games and cruised to UConn’s sixth title. As a fifth year in 2024-25 he became a full-time starter, anchoring one of the nations elite offenses from the point and posting career highs in scoring, assists and rebounding. A tenacious defender, willing playmaker and fearless competitor, Diarra was a Husky fan favorite.

Register Now!
Register Now!
Presenting Sponsor: $10,000 – (SOLD)
Table Sponsor: $2,000 (includes one table/8 seats with branding, inclusion in printed program, pre and post event publicity)
Individual Tickets: $150 per person

The Patterson Club in Fairfield, CT

Thursday, June 12, 2025.

7:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Presenting Sponsor:

Kolbe Conversations #6 “Let’s Talk Maximilian Kolbe”

Please join us for the sixth edition of our Kolbe Conversations event series. Normally a breakfast, this will be an early evening event featuring the private screening of a riveting episode from Martin Scorsese’s new docudrama series The Saints (see link to the trailer below). The specific one-hour episode will feature our school’s namesake, Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest imprisoned at Auschwitz where he died in 1941 after volunteering his own life to save another prisoner. He was canonized as a saint by Pope John Paul II in 1982.

A cocktail reception will precede the screening and the acclaimed writer of the series, Kent Jones, will be on hand for an interview and Q&A with the audience after the film. Please register to attend … and know that for every ticket you purchase at $100, you will be providing two FREE tickets to Kolbe Cathedral students to attend the screening. We hope to have our entire school community (students, parents, staff, faculty, alumni, friends, Board members and donors) in attendance for an unforgettable evening of school pride, entertainment and learning.

Quick Center for the Arts

Fairfield University 
1073 North Benson Road
Fairfield, CT
Thursday, February 27, 2025
Cocktail Reception – 5:00-6:00pm
Screening – 6:00-7:00pm
Q&A with Kent Jones – 7:00-7:30pm

Individual Tickets:

$100 per person (includes reserved section seating, cocktail reception and two additional tickets to be provided to Kolbe Cathedral students)

Register
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Kolbe Conversations #5 “Innocents Held Hostage”

Please join us for the fifth edition of our Kolbe Conversations celebrity breakfast series to benefit Kolbe Cathedral High School. Over the last three years, our breakfasts have focused exclusively on sports. We’ve “talked” golf with Mike Whan (CEO, USGA), sports television with Pete Bevacqua (Chairman, NBC Sports), football with Dan Orlovsky (ESPN and former UConn and NFL QB) and hockey with Rand Pecknold (head coach of the 2023 NCAA Champion Quinnipiac Bobcats).

Changing the subject matter dramatically for our next breakfast, Let’s Talk “Innocents Held Hostage” will feature the showing of the award-winning documentary film of the same name followed by Q&A with its subject Morad Tahbaz. Mr. Tahbaz is a London born Iranian and American citizen who lives in Weston, CT. He is a businessman and nature conservationist and the Founder of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation. Working in this capacity, he was detained by the Iranian government in January of 2018 then unfairly arrested, charged and convicted of espionage. An innocent “pawn” in high-level Iranian negotiations with the United States, he was held hostage for almost six years in a notorious prison before being released and reunited with his family in Connecticut in September of 2023. The subject of countless international news stories, come hear Morad’s harrowing account of cruel and unusual captivity … but also the uplifting story of individual perseverance and the tireless efforts of his family, friends and the American government to gain his freedom. The documentary Innocents Held Hostage, which expertly chronicles the ordeal, was co-produced by Nate Colman and Jonah Rothlein and won the 2024 Grand Prize of the C-Span Student Cam national competition. Believe it or not, they are rising Juniors at Weston High School! Nate Colman, who directed and edited the film, will be there to join the conversation.

The Patterson Club 

1118 Cross Highway

Fairfield, CT

Thursday, August 8, 2024

7:30-9:00am

Table Sponsor:

$2,250

(includes one prime location table with 8 seats and branding)

Individual Tickets:

$150 per person

Register

Kolbe Conversations #4 “Let’s Talk Hockey”

Please join us for the fourth edition of our Kolbe Conversations celebrity breakfast series to benefit Kolbe Cathedral High School. Themed, “Let’s Talk Hockey”, our featured guest will be Rand Pecknold, the head coach of the 2023 NCAA DI Hockey Champions from Quinnipiac University. Hired in 1994, Pecknold has been at the helm of the Bobcats’ program for 29 seasons and led Quinnipiac to the school’s first-ever national championship on his third trip to the Frozen Four championship game since 2013. He ranks first among all active Division I hockey coaches with 615 wins and the team was 34-4-3 for the ’22-’23 season. In addition, he was the head coach of the U.S. team  for the 2023 Junior World Championships.

Armen Keteyian, 11-time Emmy award winner, will moderate the breakfast conversation with Pecknold which will take place at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, CT on Thursday, August 31, 2023.

Time: 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT

Where: The Patterson Club
1118 Cross Highway
Fairfield, CT 06824

Presenting Sponsor: $5,000 (includes two prime location tables with celebrity guests and primary branding)
 
Table Sponsor: $2,250 (includes one table with branding)
 
Individual Tickets: $150 per person
Register

Kolbe Conversations “Let’s Talk Football”

Please join us for the third edition of our “Kolbe Conversations” celebrity breakfast series to benefit Kolbe Cathedral High School on July 7th at the Patterson Club in Fairfield, CT. Our featured guest will be Dan Orlovsky, ESPN Football Analyst who appears on NFL Live and a variety of other ESPN studio programs in addition to calling a weekly ESPN/ABC college football game during the fall. A native of Shelton, CT, Orlovsky was a star quarterback for the UCONN Huskies before being selected by the Detroit Lions in the 2005 NFL Draft. In addition to Detroit, he also played for the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during his 12-year professional football career. Orlovsky’s father (also Dan) was Kolbe Class of ’70 and a standout football player. Armen Keteyian, 11-time Emmy award winner, will moderate the conversation.

When: Thursday, July 7, 2022

Time: 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT

Where: The Patterson Club
1118 Cross Highway
Fairfield, CT 06824

Presenting Sponsor (1): $5,000 SOLD

Table Sponsorships: $2,500 (prime location table including 8 seats, name/logo inclusion and recognition)

Individual Tickets: $125 per person

Register

Kolbe Conversations “Let’s Talk Sports Television”

Please join us for the second edition of our “Kolbe Conversions” celebrity breakfast series to benefit Kolbe Cathedral High School  on March 24th at the Patterson Club in Fairfield, CT. Our featured guest will be Pete Bevacqua, Chairman of NBC Sports and a wide-ranging conversation with him on the current state of sports television and streaming with unique insights related to the Olympic Games, NFL football, Golf (U,S, Open, The Open Championship, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour), NASCAR, IndyCar, Premier League Soccer, Thoroughbred racing (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes) and Notre Dame football. Armen Keteyian, 11-time Emmy Award winning journalist, will moderate the discussion.

When: Thursday, March 24, 2022

Time: 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT

Where: The Patterson Club
1118 Cross Highway
Fairfield, CT 06824

Presenting Sponsor (1): $5,000 SOLD

Table Sponsorships: $2,500 (prime location table including 8 seats, name/logo inclusion and recognition)

Individual Tickets: $125 per person


Register

First Kolbe Conversations Fundraiser “Let’s Talk Golf” a Huge Success!

The new USGA (United States Golf Association) CEO, Mike Whan, was the first guest of KCHS’s new fundraising series, Kolbe Conversations. Titled “Let’s Talk Golf” Whan talked about his his past experience as the CEO of the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) and how he came to the USGA.

Hosted at the Patterson Club in Fairfield, Whan captivated the audience with his thoughts about the present and future of golf. He shared his views on diversity in the sport, club head speed and distance, 12 holes versus 18 holes, and creating a “Team USA” that supports young golfer’s development.

Bishop Frank Caggiano took time from his vacation to attend. He spoke with pride about Kolbe Cathedral and expressed his gratitude for the large number of people in attendance.

Whan was in town for the third U.S. Senior Women’s Open being held at Brooklawn Country Club beginning Thursday. Hats off to our new Director of Development, Rick Ryan and his team for a successful fundraising event.

“Let’s Talk Golf” Celebrity Breakfast with Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA

Join us for our first “Kolbe Conversions” Celebrity Breakfast to benefit Kolbe Cathedral High School with USGA CEO, Mike Whan on July 27th at the Patterson Club in Fairfield, CT. 

Featured Guest: Mike Whan
New CEO of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and former Commissioner of the LPGA

Moderator: Armen Keteyian
11-time Emmy Award winning journalist and co-author of Tiger Woods

When: Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Time: 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Where: The Patterson Club
1118 Cross Highway
Fairfield, CT 06824
Tickets: $100 per person

Mike Whan

Michael (Mike) Whan was announced as the new CEO of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in February 2021. He will be the eighth top executive in USGA history effective July 1st. Previously, he was the commissioner of the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association), one of the longest-running and most successful women’s sports organizations in the world. Whan assumed the leadership role on Jan. 4, 2010, with an eye toward enhancing existing business relationships, growing the tournament schedule, increasing exposure for players and maximizing the LPGA experience for fans.
 
Since celebrating his 10th year as Commissioner in 2019, Whan continues to lead a resurgence of the LPGA on all fronts, embracing the global makeup of the Tour and promoting the DRIVE ON new brand positioning that focuses on celebrating the LPGA’s 70-year track record of driving on to break barriers and provide opportunities for women. Drive On isn’t just rooted in golf, but it is so much bigger. It’s about that fire that burns inside you when you discover your passion. It’s about the motivating power of big dreams and the resolve to defy convention and stereotypes. It’s about finding the vision to see beyond what has already been done and to believe something greater is possible. 
 
Whan oversaw strong renewal rates amongst title and marketing partners, developed new tournaments that showcase the world’s best players and drove huge increases in the LPGA’s television viewership. Not shy to embrace the global aspect of the LPGA, Whan has expanded playing opportunities throughout Asia while increasing the number of North American tournaments for the U.S.-based Tour. His “role reversal” concept challenges players and staff to think like tournament sponsors, a strategy which ensures that everyone plays a role in delivering value to those who financially support the Tour.
 
Under Whan’s leadership, the LPGA Tour’s playing schedule has soared from 23 to 34 events with innovative tournaments such as the Founders Cup; strategic partnerships like the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship; The Evian Championship, the LPGA’s fifth major; the unique eight-country UL International Crown; and the CME Group Tour Championship with its season-long Race to the CME Globe points competition that awards the winner with $1.5 million, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf. As testament to Whan’s efforts, he was honored in April 2017 as Sports Executive of the Year at the sixth annual Cynopsis Sports Media Awards in New York.
 
In addition, under Whan, the developmental Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA has also grown in schedule (+50%) and purse money (+100%). The LPGA’s Girls Golf program has more than 100,000 members by the end of 2019, up from 5,000 in 2010, and the LPGA’s Professionals division has its largest-ever membership and has now expanded into Asia and 15 countries worldwide. Now embracing all things global, the LPGA caters to fans in over 200 countries via the website and boasts television partners in 175 countries.
 
Whan developed a passion for golf at a young age, cutting greens and caddying to earn money. He attended Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Ill., for his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Anderson High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Whan graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 1987 and began his business career the same year at the Proctor and Gamble Company, rising through the ranks as a Brand Assistant, Brand Manager and eventually Director of Marketing, Oral Care, before pursuing his passion for sports.
 
In 1994-95, he served as a Vice President and General Manager at the Wilson Sporting Goods Company responsible for all aspects of the golf ball and glove business. He also managed the marketing department, two manufacturing facilities and the Research & Development division.
 
Whan joined the TaylorMade Golf Company as Vice President of Marketing in 1995. Over the course of his four-year tenure, he was promoted to Vice President, Sales and Marketing and eventually EVP/General Manager-North America for TaylorMade-Adidas Golf. In his role as General Manager, Whan’s business unit represented more than 70 percent of the company’s worldwide sales and profit.
 
Whan served as President/Chief Marketing Officer for Britesmile, Inc., from 1999-2002, before returning to sports as the President-CEO of Mission Hockey, a hockey equipment company. During his seven-year tenure in the hockey business, he restructured and redefined the company, then acquired Itech Sports to create Mission-Itech Hockey. When Whan finalized the sale of Mission-Itech Hockey, it commanded market share leadership in nine product categories, sales in more than 30 countries and had more than 50% of the National Hockey League (NHL) players using the brands.
 
He and his wife, Meg, and his children Austin, Wesley and Connor, will move to New Jersey from Lake Mary, Florida.

Armen Keteyian

11-time Emmy award winner Armen Keteyian is widely regarded as one of the finest sports journalists in the country with a decorated career spanning nearly 40 years. Most recently, he was the Anchor and an Executive Producer of video for The Athletic, the digital sports media company. Prior to The Athletic he spent 12 years as a network television correspondent to “60 Minutes” for eight seasons.
 
From 2013 to March of 2017 Keteyian was the lead correspondent for “60 Minutes Sports” on Showtime. Beginning in 2006 he was the Chief Investigative Correspondent for CBS News for seven years, winning multiple Emmy awards. He has also worked as a special features reporter for CBS Sports, a correspondent for HBO’s “Real Sports,” ABC News “World News Tonight” and Writer-Reporter at Sports Illustrated.
 
Keteyian is also the author or co-author of 11 books, including Tiger Woods, the critically acclaimed No. 1 New York Times best-selling biography. A television and film producer he was an Executive Producer of the 2021 HBO documentary Tiger. Keteyian earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Diego State university in 1976 where he started as an infielder on the baseball team. He and his wife, Dede, live in Fairfield, CT.

Annual Harvest Fund

Most private schools rely on their Annual Funds to provide the greatest and most important single source of annual fundraising support. Kolbe Cathedral’s  initiative is named the Annual Harvest Fund to remind us of the hard work, care and nurturing it takes each year to produce a bountiful crop of caring graduates and college-bound students. It also pays homage to a long KCHS tradition of inter-class student competition each November called “Harvest Party”. This fund will provide vital, flexible-use resources and discretionary income that allow Kolbe Cathedral to sustain its educational mission with an excellent faculty and proper facilities and programs that allow students to achieve at their highest level. The proceeds from the 2022-2023 Annual Harvest Fund, which will run from November through June, will go to much-needed student tuition assistance and building upgrades/repairs (the main school building was built in the 1960’s).  Giving levels are as follows: Giving levels are as follows:
 
$1 – $249  Friends of Kolbe Cathedral
$250 – $999  Cougar Club
$1,000- $2,499*  Patrons Club
$2,500 – $4,999*  Principal’s Circle
 
* Gifts at these levels will provide membership to the Maximilian Kolbe Society. Benefits will include a reception with Bishop Frank J. Caggiano following the Baccalaureate Mass on June 1, 2023.