Mike Savage

President/CEO at PTR Baler and Compactor Company

Tell us about your background.

I grew up in East Orange, New Jersey. My Dad worked as a fireman for 42 years, (Chief for 24 of them), and my Mom was a homemaker. My parents instilled in us their very strong Catholic faith and demonstrated that faith through their work volunteering for the church and community – whether it was painting the convent or serving as a Eucharistic minister.

Why do you support Catholic education?

I attended Catholic grade school, high school (Seton Hall Prep) and college (Villanova University). I was able to develop great relationships with priests and faculty at school which has sustained throughout my life. This, along with the model set forth by our parents, has fueled my wife Laura’s and my passion for supporting Catholic education now within our own family, and has led us to send all three of our children to Catholic grade & high schools.

“The structure that Catholic education provides is unrivaled; the discipline and dedication of the teachers that these schools bring to the table – particularly the Philadelphia Catholic schools – factored heavily into the decision for us. It instills a faith that you carry within you through all of life’s challenges.”

How did you come to work with BLOCS?

I have been involved with BLOCS for over ten years. I was approached by then-Chairman Mike O’Neill, who was very passionate about the BLOCS mission, and he convinced me on joining immediately. I have served on several Boards since the 1990’s, and I can say this experience has been the most fulfilling because of the passion of the team – the staff and my fellow Board members – to support and advance Catholic education. The commitment goes way above and beyond.

“There’s such a bond between the BLOCS team and Board. They are so passionate about the mission. That’s really what inspires me and makes it really special.”

Give us some insights you’ve gained through your work on the Scholarship Committee.

As a member of the Scholarship Committee, I witness firsthand how the money raised impacts so many families who are really going through incredible challenges. It’s tremendously fulfilling to know that BLOCS can step in to help them weather the storm and keep the bills under control while they overcome some tragic situations.

“It reminds you how fortunate you are. Life can change at a moment’s notice.”

Last year was a great example of the power of BLOCS. When COVID broke out, we had multiple meetings to determine how we were going to address the multitude of families in our community who were getting sick and losing their jobs due to the pandemic.

The BLOCS team, (led by Kathleen [Harvey], Ted [Aicher]& Dave [Rowan]) did an incredible job over the course of 30 – 60 days processing thousands of scholarship applications through the Emergency Scholarship Fund to ensure that families had enough financial support to get through the school year.

“The speed and resolve with which the team processed these applications made the committee incredibly proud, and it impacted thousands of families, above and beyond what we are typically able to accommodate through the normal Emergency Scholarship Fund process. It was incredibly gratifying to see that passion come through and enable us to respond so quickly.”

Why is donor support so critical?

In March of 2020, we were all sort of staring into an abyss. None of us knew where things were headed, but we just prayed we had enough to get us through. One thing that we did know, was that we had the resources, through the support of our donors, to jump in and get it done. We would have never been able to accomplish what we did – providing $2.5M to families impacted by COVID, without our donors stepping up.

What inspires you about your work with BLOCS?

We’ve always talked about the need to get the student’s stories out there for our donors to see. They are so inspiring. The message is very powerful. It’s a message we can all relate to. At the end of the day, we want to know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m particularly inspired by the “pay it forward” stories we hear from families who have received BLOCS scholarships and give back once their children graduate. It demonstrates the level of appreciation they have through God’s good grace that has gotten them through and allowed them to come full circle to help support another family in need. It’s not a message you see all that often. That speaks to the power of BLOCS.