Building Community: Supporting the Athletic Program

Athletics have always been important to Jesse and Chrissy Brown P26, 29. They both grew up playing team sports, and their positive experiences fostered a strong sense of community. They encouraged their daughters to get involved and play sports; Marin ’29 is on the Middle School soccer, swim and lacrosse teams, and Hadley ’26 is the captain of the Varsity cross country and tennis teams. “I know Hadley feels like her experience is richer because she is playing sports at Dana Hall,” Chrissy Brown said. “She is friends with all these girls in her classes, and then she knows so many other girls through sports.”

The Browns have seen firsthand the impact athletics can have on the Dana Hall student experience. “Playing on a team is important for girls in their development — feeling good about themselves and gaining self-confidence through sports, and through teamwork specifically. It’s an opportunity to have a positive relationship with another adult — their coach — who is not their teacher,” said Chrissy, who also noted how she has seen her daughter’s leadership grow on and off the field since she took on the role of team captain.

Chrissy has been a member of the Dana Hall Board of Trustees for three years, and has seen the School’s endowment increase substantially during that time. She knows growing the endowment is critical to Dana Hall’s success, as it can generate current-use funds for everything from f inancial aid to student activities to faculty support. The greater the value of the endowment, the less reliant the School can be on tuition. With that in mind, the Browns decided to make an endowment gift to the Helen Parker Bowlby Athletic Fund. Established in 1983 by Alexandra Ordway ’45 in honor of Helen Parker Bowlby, former chair of the Physical Education Department at Dana Hall, the fund generates income that is used to finance the purchase of equipment and materials for varsity, junior varsity and recreational sports.

“There’s this great energy at Dana Hall right now, particularly in athletics amongst the leadership, coaches and kids,” said Chrissy. ‘We love sports, and we’re excited to see this positive direction continue.”

A gift to the School’s endowment ensures that the commitment to excellence that is the hallmark of a Dana Hall education is secured for future generations.