NORWALK—On Saturday March 10 Council 14360 held their 9th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner to raise funds for their charitable causes. Two hundred ten packed the Masterpool Great Room at St. Matthew Church to enjoy some quality and tasty corned beef with all the trimmings, as well as a superb performance from the Mulkerin School of Irish Dance.
“We do our very best to give our parishioners & friends a fun time, and the brother Knights pulled up their sleeves and gave their all on what’s always a fun & hectic night,” said Grand Knight Scott Criscuolo.
The K of C Sword & Shield Charity Golf Committee, whose third annual tournament is coming up on June 11th at Brownson Country Club, presented a check for $2000 to Kathy Beardsworth, Director of Communications and Outreach at Homes for the Brave with a portion of the proceeds from last year’s tournament. The Sword & Shield Golf Tournament is a combined effort with St. Matthew Council 14360 and Our Lady of the Assumption Council 11077 in Fairfield.
“Homes for the Brave is most grateful to the Knights of Columbus for their continuing support, enabling us to assist homeless Veterans in obtaining employment and securing safe housing.
Last fall, I approached a local company to request a donation for a building repair project. After learning more about Homes for the Brave, the owner said he and his contractors may be looking to hire in the spring so we should keep in touch.
In February, we received a call that the company needed to hire someone to replace a retiring long-term employee. We worked quickly to respond and had a Veteran with the right credentials. He nailed the interview, got the job, and is now working with his Case Manager to secure permanent housing,” said Beardsworth.
“It is always an honor to present a donation to a wonderful organization such as Homes for the Brave which continues to help our homeless veterans, said Sword & Shield Golf Classic Co-Chair and Past Grand Knight (Council 14360) George Ribellino, Jr.
In addition, the council presented 2 awards for the 2016-2017 fraternal year. The Award of Appreciation was given to Chancellor Chris O’Connor. Chris is a charter member of the council and runs the Keep Christ in Christmas and Vocations Poster contests and is the liaison for the council’s work with All Saints Catholic School. The Knight of the Year was presented to Ron Miller. Ron is currently Treasurer of the council and runs the council’s annual communion breakfast and organizes fundraisers with local restaurants.
The dinner included corned beef provided by Zody’s 19th Hole, complemented by cabbage, carrots, potatoes and soda bread—and ice cream donated by Saugatuck Sweets in Fairfield. The event also featured a “cornucopia of great raffle prizes from many local businesses. The program was sponsored by MBI Inc in Norwalk. “The support of such a great company like MBI is greatly appreciated. It proves that they are committed to assisting the local community,” said Ribellino.
Money raised from the dinner will help assist such local organizations as Malta House, Homes for the Brave, All Saints Catholic School, Al’s Angels, CT Fisher House and The St. Matthew Food Pantry.
The goal of the Knights of Columbus Council at Saint Matthew Parish is to perform acts of charity, providing those in need with a range of support from financial to tactical help in dealing with a wide variety of challenges. For more information, visit saintmatthewknights.com.