Parents make final fundraising push to keep Saint Helen's School of Fresno open

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Saint Helen's School of Fresno is fighting to save the popular Catholic school from shutting down at the end of this month.

The school has just two weeks to raise a little more than a half-million dollars to keep its doors open. But the community is banding together to help - holding a fundraiser to help save the 60-year-old school from shutting down at the end of May.

"We are just so blessed to have so many people in the community reach out to us," organizer Cynthia Seranno said.

Serrano helped organize the Saturday event where more than a dozen vendors donated their time by cooking food and selling clothes. Parents like Carlos Puerto say it is a good feeling to know people are not giving up.

"This school brings so much, not just in the education level, but in the spiritual," he said. "And by this school closing, we feel like part of our family is being destroyed."

Since March 10, the day parents received a letter informing them of the financial troubles, the school has raised more than $240,000.

However, another $340,000 is needed to meet its nearly $600,000 debt dating back seven years. Judy Ruiz is hopeful that will happen.

She graduated from Saint Jelen's in 1977.

"It got me ready for everything in life and stuff like that," she said. "Plus, it gave me my religion and that was the most important thing."

It's a foundation she believes kids and teens here must have. There are two more fundraising events this month - one is a movie night and the other is paint night.