Last Updated: Tuesday - 01/04/2011

Alberta Knights gave $1.6M to Charity

CALGARY — The Alberta-NWT Knights of Columbus raised and donated more than $1.6 million and 1.03 million hours of service to a wide range of charities last year, the Catholic men's organization reported.

"These totals represent a remarkable outpouring of generosity - not only in money but also in personal commitment — on the part of the Knights," said State Deputy Leo Klein.

On the international level, state and local units volunteered 56,730,040 hours of service to programs in the Church and their communities while monetary donations to charitable and benevolent causes totalled US$116,187,996.

The Knights have 1.6 million members in 12,000 local councils in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and the Caribbean and Pacific Rim.

Of the $1,610,838, that Alberta-NWT state and local units raised and donated last year, $807,755 was appropriated for various Church activities, $572,394 for community activities and $230,689 for youth.

Caring for the sick and the bereaved was the Knights' priority for their volunteer works.

They spent 84,930 hours of service to sick or disabled members and families, made 73,183 visits to sick or bereaved and provided 5,072 blood donors.

Statistics show that for every dollar the Knights raised, they matched it with more than half an hour of community service.

"The monetary contributions in themselves are noteworthy and commendable, but even more noteworthy is the record of voluntary service established by Knights," said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson,

The Alberta-NWT K of C has 149 councils with a total of 13,912 members as of June 30.

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