“At my age now, I can’t imagine not having the means to take care of my failing health — and in the past the Brothers have taken care of each other, which is a burden they shouldn’t have to bear!”
— Betty Kabara, Founder of the KabarA Challenge
The story of KabarA begins, as many Lasallian stories do, with formation. When Jon Kabara first brought Betty to Winona, Minnesota to visit Saint Mary's University, he was not simply showing her a campus. He was showing her the place that had shaped him; the institution whose values had become his own, whose mission he carried into every corner of his life.
Jon's formation at St. George High School and Saint Mary's University gave him more than an education. It gave him a way of seeing the world: one in which knowledge is inseparable from service, and in which the measure of a life's work is the health and dignity of those it touches. He pursued that conviction with uncommon energy. He earned 16 patents, published more than 200 works, and founded Med-Chem Labs, Inc., with the explicit purpose of improving the health of all those it served. His was truly a Lasallian life.
After Jon's death in 2011, Betty continued what they had built together. Her support for the Christian Brothers grew from Jon's love for them, and from her own firsthand witness of what the Lasallian mission looks like when it is lived faithfully. KabarA is the fruit of that witness: a yearly invitation, bearing their name, for others to join in honoring the Brothers who made it possible.
Betty's gift was not simply financial. It was an act of recognition—that what the Brothers had given Jon, and through Jon to her, was worth honoring in return. KabarA continues that recognition, year after year, for anyone who has been touched by the Lasallian mission.
Dr. Jon Kabara passes away. Betty, honoring Jon's lifelong devotion to the Christian Brothers, deepens her own commitment to supporting the Brothers and the Lasallian mission.
On a Lasallian Pilgrimage for Saint Mary's University Trustees, Betty meets Brother Larry Schatz. Her warmth, grace, and dedication to the Brothers leave a lasting impression on him.
When a major change cost the Midwest District $50,000 in funding, Betty stepped forward with a $25,000 matching gift — and the KabarA Challenge was born, providing for Senior Brothers' "Golden Year" needs.
“I remember getting to know Betty Kabara while on a Lasallian Pilgrimage for SMU Trustees in 2013. I was struck by Betty’s warmth and grace, as well as her dedication to the Christian Brothers and to Saint Mary’s University. Her kindness and generosity in wanting to honor her husband’s priorities have led to such a blessing for the Midwest District and especially our dear senior Brothers.”
— Brother Larry Schatz, FSC · Director of Vocation Ministry
Matching donors pledge a minimum of $5,000 annually to be used for the dollar-for-dollar match, currently at $250,000. All of our matching donors provide an astounding $250,000 towards our overall KabarA campaign goal of $500,000 this year.
To join as a matching gift donor or for giving opportunities, contact Anthony C. Chimera, M.B.A. at (630) 323-3725 ext. 211 or achimera@cbmidwest.org.
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