Food Banks Aided by Knights' 'Tractor Cruise'

Contact: Andrew Walther, 203-824-5412, andrew.walther@kofc.org; Matthew St. John, 203-584-6129, matthew.stjohn@kofc.org; both with Knights of Columbus

SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 8, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- Knights of Columbus Father Mathaushek Council 1576 in Union, Mo., were honored for an innovative council activity that has aided local food banks in a dramatic way.

The council was awarded the 2013 International Council Activity Award at the 131st annual international convention of the Knights of Columbus held in San Antonio this week.

Led by council member John Jasper and supported by three other councils in the area, the event included a 30-mile tractor cruise through three townships to collect provisions and funds for local food banks. With the help of 83 tractor drivers, 1,000 pounds of food were collected and $19,000 was donated to six pantries throughout Franklin County.

The "Tractor Cruise for Charity" was open to non-Catholics and began with a blessing of the tractors by the council chaplain. The attention-grabbing event was also an opportunity to enlist the involvement of inactive council members. Begun in 2008 as part of the Knights Food for Families initiative, it has grown each year.

Over 1,200 man-hours were expended in 2012 between the four councils, thanks to Jasper's leadership. The successful event was featured in the Knights’ nationally circulated Columbia magazine in November. The councils supporting Fr. Mathaushek Council 1576 included Seisl Council 1121 in Washington, Bishop Leo John Stech Council 4667 in Saint Clair and Msgr. George J. Hildner Council 8073 in Villa Ridge.

The Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882 by Father Michael McGivney, a parish priest in New Haven, Conn. With charity as its central commitment, the organization has grown to 1.8 million members worldwide. During the past year, Knights donated more than $167.5 million and more than 70 million hours of service to charitable causes.