Donor Spotlight: Mike and Mercedes Stead
On Groundhog Day, after Punxsutawney Phil forecasts our fates for another six weeks of winter, several hundred hopeful souls will gather at the Soda Center to witness Brother Dominic Berardelli, FSC, pull a random bright white ping-pong ball and listen for their chosen raffle number to be read aloud. This is the Saint Mary’s Annual Car Drawing, now in its 36th year, made possible by Mike and Mercedes Stead of Steadauto.com, a family-owned and operated vehicle business serving the San Francisco Bay Area.
For years the Annual Car Drawing—along with two golf tournaments and a vacation raffle—were the backbone of SMC athletic scholarship fundraising. With this foundation and now bolstered by additional athletic donor support, Saint Mary’s College provides a top-notch competitive experience for all of its 269 student-athletes. Donations such as the Stead’s, enable us to attract exceptional athletes and carry on the Gael tradition, a great source of pride for Saint Mary’s and its legions of fans, alumni and friends.
Mike Stead’s first contact with Saint Mary’s College began more than 20 years ago when Jerry Fitzpatrick ’42 (former Gael parent, grandparent, Regent and generous benefactor) invited him to participate in a golf tournament to benefit SMC athletics. At Jerry’s urging, Mike donated a car to Saint Mary’s and has continued donating annually for the past 18 years. Thanks to nearly two decades of the Stead’s generosity, the Annual Car Drawing has raised more than $1 million to benefit athletic scholarships. This year, junior Jackie Nared of the Women’s Basketball team is the recipient of the Steadauto.com scholarship.
In addition to his generous annual donation to the Car Drawing, Mike served on Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees for three years and was made an honorary alumnus. He has been heavily involved in the greater community over the years, serving on numerous local boards including those of Carondelet and De La Salle high schools, the Lesher Center of the Arts and John Muir Hospital (formerly Mt. Diablo Hospital). He was also the president of the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce. For many years, Steadauto.com has sponsored the Stead Open Tennis Tournaments at the Moraga Country Club.
As Saint Mary’s College has been celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary this year and reflecting on the history of this amazing institution and the impact of its donors, fellow honorary alumnus Brother Dominic said of the Steads, “Mike and Mercedes have been so very generous to the College these past 18 years. Their commitment to and interest in the student-athletes of Saint Mary’s is so deeply appreciated.”
It’s not too late to enter the Saint Mary’s College 36th Annual Car Drawing presented by Steadauto.com. The Grand Prize is the ALL-NEW 2013 Dodge Dart or $20,000 cash. Tickets—limited to the first 500 sold— are $150 each and can be purchased online at stmarys-ca.edu/cardrawing OR by calling (925) 631-8744. The drawing will be held on Saturday, February 2, prior to the men’s basketball game against Portland. Car Drawing proceeds benefit the Saint Mary’s College Gael Athletic Fund.