BOSTON -- On Dec. 5, Christmas came a little early for students and faculty at Immaculate Conception (IC) School in Revere. These members of the IC School community were given the opportunity to attend "A Company Christmas at Pops," an evening featuring dinner at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, fun activities, a visit from Santa Claus and a raffle, all followed by a concert at Symphony Hall.

The 20 tickets to the event were donated to IC Revere by some of the generous supporters of the Catholic Schools Foundation (CSF): Morgan Stanley Managing Director, Wealth Management and Private Wealth Advisor Dick Connolly, and Peter Lynch and the Lynch Foundation. Each year, one CSF sponsored school is chosen by CSF to attend "A Company Christmas at Pops," allowing students to enjoy an enriching, meaningful experience at Boston Symphony Orchestra.

"These donors have been putting smiles on the faces of students and families during the holiday season for over a decade," said Hillary Laggis, director of Corporate Partnerships at CSF. "It is through our strong corporate partnerships that we are able to provide these engaging experiences to students throughout our communities. We are so grateful for these partnerships and to all of our donors who are making this Christmas season brighter for students and families."

"A Company Christmas at Pops" is an extravagant holiday gala, followed by a performance by the renowned Boston Pops Orchestra. Designed for Boston's corporate community, this event that offers industry leaders a chance to entertain their employees, friends and clients was a unique experience for the elementary-aged students from IC Revere.

"I think this has to be one of the best nights I have ever had in my whole life," said Daniel, a seventh grader from IC Revere.

"This has been such a treat," said Donis Tracy, director of admissions at IC Revere. "To be able to bring these students to experience the Boston Pops -- some whose families would never be able to afford a night such as this -- was fantastic."

In addition to this Christmas concert, CSF will be sending 550 students from 13 Boston-area Catholic schools to Symphony Hall for the BSO Youth Concert Series in March.

The Catholic Schools Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to high-quality Catholic schools to low-income students in the Greater Boston area. Though most of CSF's contributions are made through scholarship support, they are also committed to providing programmatic aid to low-income students, allowing them to engage, discover, reach their full potential and break the cycle of poverty. With the help of their supporters like Dick Connolly and Peter Lynch and the Lynch Foundation, CSF is meeting their commitment of Building Minds and Changing Lives every day.