Pohlad family gives $5M to urban Catholic schools

The family of the late Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad is donating $5 million to help urban Catholic elementary schools.

The Pohlad familiy is donating $1 million a year for the next five years to 19 Catholic elementary schools in the Twin Cities archdiocese. The money will start flowing this school year and goes toward making parochial educational affordable for poor families.

Officials with the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis were joined by Pohlad's son, Robert Pohlad, in making the announcement.

A family spokeswoman says the Pohlad family already had been providing funding to several of the schools, but the tipping point was a collaborative effort started by a dozen Catholic schools to share resources and training.

Carl Pohlad died in January at age 93.

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Information from: St. Paul Pioneer Press