Knights of Columbus Leeds Council 5597 Donates to Local Schools
Knights of Columbus Leeds Council 5597 presented donations to four area schools at their monthly meeting last Thursday at Leeds Civic Center. Each special education teacher received a check in the amount of $500 to their particular classroom for a total of $2000 in charitable distributions. Recipients were Tyler Evans for Leeds Middle School, Alexis Shepherd for Leeds Elementary School, Katie Lee for Moody Elementary School and Leslie Bice for Odenville Elementary.
Photo Front L-R: Keith Kennedy, Grand Knight Tony Hall, Alexis Shepherd – Leeds Elementary, Jennifer Askins and Katie Lee – Moody Elementary, Leslie Bice – Odenville Elementary.
Back L-R: Andy Russo, Don Tice, Terry Taylor, Jim Riley, John Barnard, Allen Whaley, Dr. Bill Watkins, Jerry Smith, Tyler Evans – Leeds Middle School.
Knights of Columbus Leeds Council 5597 Donates to Local Schools
These donations were made possible through the Knights of Columbus annual charity fundraiser for persons with intellectual disabilities (also known as the Tootsie Roll Drive) to benefit special education teachers at these four schools.
Those K of C members in attendance for the presentations were Grand Knight Tony Hill, Andy Russo, Keith Kennedy, Don Tice, Terry Taylor, Jim Riley, John Barnard, Allen Whaley, Dr. Bill Watkins and Jerry Smith.
Keith Kennedy was the Chairman of this year’s Tootsie Roll Drive. This charity event is just one way that the Knights of Columbus Leeds Council 5597 makes an impact in the greater Leeds community. Some of their charity work includes donations to Backpack Buddies, Leeds Outreach, Ann’s New Life Center, The Red Barn, St. Barnabas Catholic Church for building repairs, Holy Rosary Food Pantry, food pickup and workers, Holy Rosary Church repair materials and labor, St. Joseph’s Altar donation, loaner wheelchair ramp delivery and installation for parishioners, Fultondale tornado relief donation, service as ushers, readers, extraordinary ministers, City of Smith Station tornado relief donation, clergy appreciation dinner donation, Thanksgiving turkeys for the hungry, replaced lighting in church kitchen, PSR breakfast, 40 Cans for 40 Days food drive, kneeler repairs in the church, seminarians donation, Hispanic picnic donation, annual ultrasound initiative donation to protect the unborn, Christmas gift cards collection & distribution for nursing homes, KC Charities Hurricane Relief Fund donation, Lewy Body Dementia Fund donation, scholarship donation to University of Mobile, PSR Truck or Treat donation, youth group trips donations, pray for those who need God’s healing, installed handicap sidewalk for Brother Knight.
The Knights of Columbus is an international faith-based, nonprofit, charitable organization of more than 2 million Knights in the U.S and six other countries including more than 8,000 Knights in Alabama and more than 75 in Metro Leeds, dedicated to serving those in need. Their central objectives are charity, unity and patriotism. Charity includes time, talents and fiscal assistance. The K of C organization was founded in 1882 and is open to men that are 18 years old and up. They meet monthly at Leeds Civic Center. Bingo is also held twice a month as another fundraiser to support their charity work. The next Bingo is scheduled for Friday, February 18 at Leeds Civic Center. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and Bingo begins at 6:00 pm. Come out for a fun evening for a great cause.
For more information about Knights of Columbus Leeds Council 5597, please visit http://everyoneleeds.com/leeds-knights-of-columbus/ or contact Dr. Bill Watkins, Trustee Council 5597-Leeds, at crdnlinspt@gmail.com, Grand Knight Tony Hill at tony@wideopensigns.com or Don Tice at bamaguydet@gmail.com.
Photo Courtesy of Dona Bonnett