Click here for more photos of what we have accomplished.
Delanie Fekert Foundation supports and promotes Catholic education and the local community where Delanie lived and worked. Every year, DFF presents the Sacred Heart Academy Delanie Fekert Memorial Scholarship Award to a worthy recipient and an annual Delanie Fekert Memorial Graduation Award to an Our Lady of Victory 8th grader attending Catholic High School in the Fall. Last year, DFF donated 17 new interactive flat panel boards to OLV School to replace the old dated “Smart Boards” and the Delanie Fekert Dance Studio at SHA continues to be enjoyed by students for dance classes, Nutcracker practices, Red & Gold, after school yoga and meditation and much more! Delanie loved both OLV and SHA and we strive to keep her memory alive by continuing to make a difference in the lives of those who knew and loved her as well as touch lives of those who never had the chance to meet her. DFF proudly supports our local community, and we know that together we will continue to do great things!
Delanie Fekert Memorial OLV Graduation Award (2026)
Delanie Fekert Memorial Scholarship Award (2026)
DFF is excited to announce that our third annual Delanie Fekert Memorial Scholarship Award to Sacred Heart Academy was awarded to Caitlin Leonard in January! A current 8th grader at OLV, she will be starting at SHA in the fall as part of the Class of 2030! We got to meet her after OLV’s Catholic Schools’ Mass in February! Congratulations Caitlin! Well deserved! Like Delanie, you set high goals and work hard to achieve them while being kind and helping others along the way. You were the perfect choice for this award! We are so proud of you and excited for your next four years at SHA! Continue to follow your dreams, be confident and compassionate, stay strong in your faith and take advantage of all SHA has to offer! We know you can accomplish anything you set your sights on! We look forward to seeing you shine!
Interactive Flat Panels for OLV School
In November 2025, DFF funded the purchase of 17 new interactive flat panel boards for Our Lady of Victory School to replace the outdated “Smart Boards”! They are fully operational and OLV students and teachers love them! We are proud to make this new level of high-tech learning available to enhance the learning of a new generation of OLV students. It means so much to be able to make this positive impact in memory of Delanie, OLV Class of 2011! Delanie loved her years at OLV and we truly believe OLV helped her become the strong, faithful, confident woman she was.
Delanie Fekert Memorial Scholarship Award (2025)
DFF is proud to announce that our second annual Delanie Fekert Memorial Scholarship Award to Sacred Heart Academy was awarded to Reese Dennis in January 2025! She started at SHA in the fall of 2025 as part of the Class of 2029! Congratulations Reese! Well-deserved! Your kindness, humor, positive energy, hard work, compassion and faith exemplify who Delanie was, making you the perfect choice for this award. We are so excited for you as you finish your first year at SHA! We wish you all the best in your remaining 3 years as you continue to shine and enjoy all SHA has to offer! You got this!
Delanie Fekert Memorial OLV Graduation Award (2025)
Congratulations to Juliana Palma on receiving the annual Delanie Fekert Memorial OLV Graduation Award on June 12, 2025 at Our Lady of Victory School’s 8th Grade Awards Night! This award recognizes a young woman who is kind, hard working, enthusiastic, strong in her faith, and attending a Catholic HS in the Fall. Well done Juliana! We are so proud of you and excited for the future that awaits you! We wish you all the best at St. Mary’s HS! We hope you continue to work hard, be kind to others, believe in yourself and have a strong faith in God. Remember to always live life to the fullest. Congratulations and best wishes to Juliana and the entire 2025 OLV graduating class! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish!
Delanie Fekert Dance Studio
The Delanie Fekert Dance Studio at Sacred Heart Academy continues to be enjoyed by students for dance classes, Nutcracker practices, Red & Gold, after-school yoga and meditation and much more! It is the perfect tribute to Delanie, SHA class of 2015 and one of DFF’s proudest accomplishments! Delanie loved to dance and it brought her so much joy. Irish dancing was her passion. She was on SHA Red Kickline for four years, and was also on the Quinnipiac Kickline team. She took all the dance classes offered at SHA in the old studio and she just loved Sacred Heart Academy. Construction on the studio began during the summer of 2023 after classes ended for the year and was completed by the time students returned in September so they were able to take their dance classes and have their practices for the SHA Nutcracker performance as well. In January 2024, SHA had a memorial mass for Delanie and a dedication and blessing of the studio by Father Tom Fusco. The studio is beautiful! We know it will be used by SHA students for generations to come! It is a joyful space that captures Delanie’s love of dance and enthusiasm for life itself. It is perfect!
Team Delanie: Athletic Events in her Honor
“YOU GOT THIS!”
– one of Delanie’s favorite phrases
Team Delanie continues to inspire people to get out of their comfort zones, set goals and challenge themselves as Delanie did. Delanie’s friends, family, former patients and even people who’ve never met her are being inspired every day by her legacy of joy. Many are getting out of their comfort zone and participating in athletic events in honor of her passion for fitness. If you wore your “Team Delanie” shirt (available for purchase at foundation events), please send us a photo so we can post it here and/or on Facebook/Instagram!
Team Delanie participating in the 2024 Spartan Stadion at Citi Field