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Annual Knights of Columbus Fall Fundraiser Raffle Kicks Off
The 2024 Annual Masconomo Council 1232 Knights of Columbus Fall Fundraiser Raffle gets underway this week with ticket sales in full swing throughout Cape Ann now through the raffle drawing date, Columbus Day Weekend, Sunday October 13 at St John the Baptist church, Essex at 11:00am.
Last year record funds totaling $45,794 were raised and distributed that benefited not only parishes in Manchester by-the Sea, Essex and Hamilton, but also familiar organizations like The Open Door Food Pantry, Beverly Bootstraps, Meals on Wheels-Senior Care, Councils on Aging-Manchester, Essex, Hamilton, Special Olympics, Dana Farber Cancer Research Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity.
Of the three founding principles of the Knights of Columbus- Charity, Fraternity and Unity, charity is first as the Order was founded as a charitable organization to care for those in need – immigrants, widows and orphans and those in need of a helping hand. In our day it may include those challenged by food insecurity, lack of adequate health care and the stress of rising inflation.
Every year Masconomo Council 1232 has two major fund raisers. The first ended early in June. Its purpose was obvious. Every year money raised finances for The Father Jack Gentleman Memorial Scholarship program for graduating seniors. This year we awarded seventeen $1,000 scholarships. Over the past 17 years, the Council has fundraised and awarded a total of 132 scholarships to recognize the accomplishments of our graduates.
The other fundraiser is the council’s Annual Fall Fundraiser, which begins in the summer. It is a familiar activity centered around a raffle whose prizes are donations of cash, and gift certificates for hotels, restaurants and Cape Ann businesses. For more than twelve years, the Annual Fall Fundraiser has been the council’s major means of raising revenue.
It’s natural to ask where does the money raised go. Now is the perfect time to ask. For the period 2023 through June of 2024 Council 1232 gave a record amount of donations.
Here is our accounting of funds spent in support of the Council’s charitable mission:
- Every year Council 1232 helps support two parishes and three churches-
Visitation Parish-Sacred Heart, Manchester by the Sea and St John the Baptist, Essex,
And St Paul’s, Hamilton. This year it also sponsored 2 seminarians studying for the priesthood at St John’s Seminary in Brighton with a gift of $ 1,000 each. - Contributions of $500 were made to each of the Councils on Aging for the towns of Essex, Hamilton and Manchester by-the Sea.
- The Council donated manpower and funds in support of the Beverly Community Supper.
- It supported The Open Door Food Pantry with a $1,800 donation and our ongoing 24/7 food drive. Since 2018 the Knights have collected 10,558 pounds of food for The Open Door.
- Likewise, the Council supported the excellent work of Beverly Boot Straps Resource Center and Food Pantry with a $750 donation.
- The Accord Food Pantry received $500.
- The outstanding work of Meals on Wheels, Senior Care, Gloucester was recognized with a donation of $1,000.
- Dana Farber Cancer Research Foundation received $1,000.
- A $500 donation was sent to the Hooper Fund, Manchester by-the Sea, supporting its after school related activities.
- Harbor Light Homes received $250.
- Masconomo Council 1232 paid for CAMPS, Christ As My Personal Savior, summer campers’ tuitions of $1,120.
- $1,000 donated to Essex County (MA) Habitat for Humanity.
- $1,000 donated to Massachusetts Special Olympics.
- The Council Father Jack fund raised and gave $1,000 scholarships to 17 high school graduates
(132 scholarships in 19 years) - The Council donated $250 to hurricane and tornado relief funds established by national Knights of Columbus
- In October our Tootsie Roll drive benefitted special needs individuals.
- The Council collected more than 360 winter coats and donated them locally to residents of Cape Ann.
- The Council collected 1,160 pairs of socks donated to local homeless shelters.
- The Council $1,000 to a regional pregnancy care center.
- A Christmas creche for St John’s Essex was built for $586.
- A donation of $50 was made to the Christmas Giving Tree.
- The Kids Fall Fun Fest was funded with $ 1,411.
- Citizenship Essay Contest prizes — $400.
- Council 1232 provided $1,492 to fund the popular Community Free Throw Contest.
- Wreaths Across America honoring deceased veterans received $ 85 from Council 1232.
- Visitation Parish Tuck’s Point Mass and monthly hospitality- $ 1,400.
- Forty Days for Life donation of $250.
- St Jude Hospital Cancer Care received a donation of $250.
- Masconomo Council 1232 charitable donation of $2,000.
That charitable giving from Masconomo Council 1232 Knights of Columbus for the period January 01, 2023 through June 3, 2024 totals $45,794
Grand Knight Steve Kuhn observed “So there you have it. Council 1232 raises funds to support worthwhile causes. We get to give. None of that giving would be possible without the generosity of family, friends and businesses throughout Cape Ann.
“We thank you in advance for your support in the year ahead.”
Knights of Columbus Food Drive for The Open Door Continues
Masconomo Council 1232 Knights of Columbus Manchester by -the Sea issues a friendly reminder that the food drive it began in 2018 to benefit The Open Door Food Pantry of Gloucester and Ipswich continues and has intensified. The need for nutritious food is always present, but the need on Cape Ann is greater now than ever before.
Fred Johnson, the Council’s liaison to The Open Door Food Pantry and a volunteer with his wife Valerie observed, “Food insecurity is as present in the summer and fall as in the winter. Record high inflation and food prices are straining food budgets and pointing families to The Open Door’s welcome.”
All are encouraged to leave food donations in the designated bins in the garage on Friend Street behind Sacred Heart Church, School Street Manchester-by the Sea.
Since the Knights’ food drive began in 2018, 10,558 lbs of food have been collected for The Open Door. In the last eighteen months $1,800 has been donated to the area food pantry by Masconomo Council 1232.
OPEN DOOR HIGHLIGHTS:
- In 2023 The Open Door distributed 1.45 million lbs of food to the Cape Ann community and served 5,935 individuals. Last year, 2023, 100 households were added per month.
- Open Door’s Mobile Market served 3,289 individuals with 187,000 lbs of fresh fruit and vegetables. This equals 77,400 visits to the Mobile Market.
- The Open Door’s kitchen served 91,700 community meals. It produced 15,300 summer meals for kids and 6,500 meals that were delivered to residents of Cape Ann.
- The Open Door would not function without the dedicated volunteers who provided 22,700 hours of their time in 2023.
NOTE: The Open Door Food Pantry experienced a 30 % increase in the amount of food distributed in the current year 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
Food items most needed by The Open Door are: Peanut Butter; Canned Tuna, Chicken, Turkey; Healthy Snack Items; Breakfast Cereal; 100% Juice / Juice Boxes; Hearty Soups; Canned Vegetables and Fruits; Spaghetti Sauce; Macaroni & Cheese; Rice; Noodles and Pasta; and Cake, Muffin, and Pancake Mix.
Note: Please no glass items-jars, bottles, etc.
Knights of Council 1232 transport the donated food to The Open Door Food Pantry weekly. They thank all donors for their generous contributions. This food drive is open-ended and on-going. It is a 24 / 7 effort.
Grand Knight Steve Kuhn said, “This a tangible way to extend a hand of friendship to our neighbors feeling the economic pinch. At a time when prices for food, housing, fuel, and utilities are uncomfortably high and rising, everyone is feeling the pinch. We are glad to help.”
Seventeen Awarded Father Jack Scholarships
Masconomo Council 1232 Knights of Columbus, Manchester by the Sea awarded sixteen $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors and brings to one hundred twenty the total number of scholarships presented by Council 1232 in the past twenty-four years.
For the past nine years, the Council’s scholarship program for graduating seniors has been designated the Father Jack Gentleman Memorial Scholarship, in memory of Father Jack Gentleman the late pastor of Sacred Heart, Manchester by the Sea and St John the Baptist, Essex, now designated The Visitation Parish.
The scholarships are annually funded by local donations and the proceeds of a fundraising raffle. This year’s individual awards are significantly larger than in the past due to the incredible generosity of donors, particularly one member of the parish community who wishes to remain anonymous.
That parishioner “paid it forward” with a 100% match of total funds to be awarded by the Knights this year. That act of charity doubled this year’s award to recipients. In return the scholarship program benefactor asked only that recipients “pay it forward” as they continue on life’s journey.
All funds raised go exclusively to The Father Jack Gentleman Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Scholarship Recipients: Liv Cahill, Paul Coughlin, Joseph D’Arcangelo, Gabriella D’Andrea Van Elwell, Troy Flood, Lily Francoeur, Celia Mann, Felim Meade, Matthew McKenna, Kevin McKenna, Luc Moruzzi, Jackson Schimpf, Jackson Surette, Charles Virden, Jan Vytopil, and Caroline Quinn
Seventeen 2024 Father Jack Gentleman Memorial Scholarship recipients hold their $1,000 “Mega Checks” at Sacred Heart church, Manchester by- the Sea. Standing behind the recipients are left to right: scholarship committee members Ton Finn, Chris Shea, and Rene St Pierre with Father Paul Flammia, pastor of Visitation parish, Manchester by-the Sea and Essex.
The awards in the form of $1,000 “Mega Checks” were presented by Rene St Pierre and Tom Finn, representatives of the Knights of Columbus scholarship committee, at Sacred Heart church on Sunday June 2nd.
Father Paul Flammia, pastor of The Visitation Parish, blessed the graduates at a Mass preceding the ceremony and wished them well in their future endeavors.
Father Paul congratulated the scholarship recipients and noted the awards recognized the graduates’ achievements and community service. He said the awards also saluted their patience and resilience in difficult pandemic years. He urged them, in the spirit of Father Jack, “to walk life’s journey loving one another, caring for each other, and treating others as you would wish to be treated. And do not forget to ‘pay it forward’”
