Seven Councils Recognized for Charitable Works
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/ -- Seven Knights of Columbus councils were honored for outstanding achievements during an award ceremony at the Knights' 131st Supreme Convention.
Members of Marikina Valley Council 6178 in Marikina City, the Philippines, were selected in the church activities category for the establishment of a ministry and the construction of a new church to the Dumagat tribal community in the remote area of Paglitao. The Knights also provided emergency charitable aid and sponsored the work of catechists, who evangelized in the village for a number of months.
Fairview Council 4044 in Chicopee, Mass., has hosted a community Thanksgiving dinner for the past 22 years and was honored by the Knights for community activities. The Chicopee Knights provided meals to more than 3,000 needy people at area community centers and also delivered them directly to the homes of the elderly and disabled. The council itself hosted a sit-down banquet on Thanksgiving Day.
A 30-mile tractor cruise to collect provisions and funds for food banks as part of the local Knights’ Food for Families initiative was honored in the council activities category. Thanks to the Father Mathaushek Council 1576 of Union, Mo., and the assistance of three other nearby councils, 83 tractor drivers collected 1,000 pounds of food and $19,000 in cash donations for delivery to six food pantries.
Recognition for culture of life activities went to Naperville (Ill.) Council 1369 for its support of the Waterleaf Women's Center and the Father Michael J. McGivney Center for Hope and Healing. The Knights provide financial support for the two facilities through their annual Celebrate Life Mass and Banquet, which this year raised more than $20,000.
In the category of family activities, Baileyville (Kan.) Knights Council 13087 was honored for its fundraising efforts on behalf of Knight Ryan Sextro, who died at age 27 from cancer. The council organized a series of fundraising events to defray medical expenses and to establish a college fund for Ryan's four-year-old daughter.
Two councils were recognized at the San Antonio convention for youth activities. The Knights' Donat Robichaud Council 9178 in Cap-Pelé, New Brunswick, was honored for organizing an anti-bullying campaign for schoolchildren. Jesus the King Arab Christian Council 15045 in Ontario was also recognized for developing a program to help the Melkite Catholic Patriarchate in Jerusalem provide scholarships to needy children. The program features a fundraising website -- JerusalemStudents.org -- that allows donors to sponsor the education of students in Beit Sahour, a Christian community near Bethlehem.
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.
