April 2024

 

Basketball Free Throw   Bishop’s Burse   C&B Books   Calendar   Coats for Kids   Color Corps   Columbiettes   Day of Caring   Essay Contest   Fourth Degree   Keep Christ in Christmas   Lottery Calendar   Pro‑Life   RSVP   Scholarships   Soccer Challenge   Veterans   Vocations   Wheelchairs

 

 

Fourth Degree.  An Exemplification of the 4th Degree took place on April 13th in Hamburg, NY. (KofC Hall Council #2220) honoring Charlie Esposito, PSD. 

 

Color Corps.  Every second Thursday of the month from 6pm to 730 pm at the Father Justin Council. Just bring your beret, sword, social baldric and white gloves. All interested 4th Degree members are welcome to attend.  All Faithful Navigators and Color Corps Commanders should attend and encourage other Brother Knights to attend as well.  Memorial Day celebration- May 27, 2024. All Color Corps members and their families who would like to join in at the Buffalo Naval Park are welcome. An email will also be sent out before the event with more details.

 

Pro-Life.  The annual St. Gianna Pregnancy Outreach Center Benefit Banquet will be held April 25, 2024, at 6pm.  The event will be located at 2425 Niagara Falls Blvd. Amherst, NY 14228. $100 per person and the deadline is April 15, 2024. You can register online.

 

Day of Caring.  The Special Olympics Golf Tournament will be held again at Rizzo’s at Rothland Golf

Course in Akron on Saturday, August 17, 2024.  The date will be on us before you know it and it’s very helpful to the committee for any advance arrangements. Mark your calendars and reserve the date.  Bob LaBarbera labamba1528@gmail.com 716-495-2246.  Click on the following for the application and Individual Patron Ad sheet.

 

Veterans.  Flag Retirement Ceremony on April 27, 2024 at 1pm by the Trinity Assembly.  Contact Will Berman (716-984-1983) with any questions or flags you may have that need retiring.  Arrangements for flag pickup can be made up to April 25, 2024.

 

Lottery Calendar.  694 Lottery calendars for 2024 have been sold so far.

 

Wheelchairs.  This initiative provides aid to those who lack the freedom of mobility in our communities and around the world. Whether councils are presenting wheelchairs to local veterans and neighbors in need or donating funds to benefit those abroad, mobility brings with it independence and dignity. Obtained at discounted prices, these wheelchairs change the lives of their recipients.

 

Vocations.  Three young men from the Diocese of Buffalo are currently being considered for the seminary.

 

 

 

Scholarships.  All applications for Scholarships and Grants must be postmarked no later than April 1, 2024, at the New York State Council Offices for consideration. The applications are available on the NYS website at www.newyorkknights.com. Enter “Scholarships & Grants” in the search bar, and the printable files will appear. This includes instructions for Scholarships, Grants and Matching Funds. Current eighth graders entering Parochial High Schools are eligible.

 

Basketball Free Throw Competition.  The regional FT Competition held at Kenmore Council 2/24/2024 was well attended. 15 of the 16 age groups for boys and girls were decided. The winners were all eligible to compete at the next level in Syracuse held 3/16/2024. Western did emerge with a winner in Syracuse. Eponine Z., representing Christ the King of Aurora Council #12829 won the girls age 12 division and will represent the Western Conference for the State Championship round at the West Point Military Academy on 4/7/2024.

 

Soccer Challenge Contest.  This is a fall event. Details will be available in the near future.

 

Coats for Kids.  600 Coats were ordered in 2023.  Yes 600! That’s 100 cases, 6 coats per case. Winter Coats. (~$95 per case)  We ordered directly from Burlington Coat Factory, As seen on past order forms, coats were ~$15.99 per coat.  The following council's ordered directly from Burlington: Council’s 209, 239, 254, 265, 2243, 5082, 6762, 11621, 16943, 17529, 17883.   Council’s were from across NY. As you can see the program is spread across the state. Burlington could not support a supplemental order last season.  So councils’ were then redirected to attempt to order from Knights Gear thru Supreme.  Many councils do not have meetings in July and/or August, but they can be ordered in August. Yes, August and you can have the coats by September. So c,ouncils that are entertaining the notion of having a Costs for Kids program, are asked to PLEASE secure funding by the end of June 2024 and get me your order. No order is too small. And I always over order. Orders were delivered to three central areas, Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany.  Coats for Kids does not require you to purchase new coats. You can run a coat drive and get credit.  You can have coats donated to your program and get credit.  You can buy coats from any store, warehouse, outlet, garage sales or wherever, and get credit.  All of these will fulfill the necessary requirements for the KofC Supreme Coats for Kids report form.

Councils’ can order from the KofC Knight’s Gear site, the coats are about $14.36 ($344.80) (24 coats per case), Size 4, 6, 8, 10/12, 14, 16/18, Adult S, M, L, XL. (Boys) $14.36/coat ($344.80) (24 coats per case), Size 4, 6, 7/8, 10/12, 14/16, Adult S, M, L, XL. (Girls) Not winter coats.  $20.62/coat ($247.38) (12 coats per case), Size 4, 6, 7. (Boys).  $20.62/coat ($247.38) (12 coats per case), Size 4, 5/6, 6x. (Girls).  Teen Coats: $25.35/coat ($304.24) (12 coats per case), Size S, M, L, XL. (Boys) $25.35/coat ($304.24) (12 coats per case), Size S, M, L, XL. (Girls)

 

Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest.  The only submissions for the Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest were for the 8th grade division. The essay sent to the State was that of Kadi J. from East Aurora submitted by Christ the King Council 12829. Essay  information is available at kofc.org > What We Do > Programs > Community > Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest

 

Keep Christ in Christmas Poster Contest.  Because of the close scores, there were two posters submitted for each of the three divisions for the Keep Christ in Christmas poster contest.

 Grade K-2 Juniper M. from Smethport, PA and Carter M. from Bradford, PA. Both were submitted by Olean Council 338.

 Grade 3-5 Rachel H. from Lockport and Cora H. from Amherst. Both submitted by St. Mary’s of Swormville Council 17530.

 Grade 6-8 Luisa P. from East Aurora submitted by Christ the King Council 12829 and Avril A. from Akron also submitted by Council 17530.

Poster information is available at kofc.org > What We Do > Programs > Family > Keep Christ in Christmas.

 

Columbiettes.  Information on the Columbiettes can be obtained by contacting Steven Szumigala <steven.szumigala@gmail.com>.

 

Bishops Burse.  The Bishops Burse will be held at DiPaolo’s Restaurant June 17, 2024. Tickets are $35.00.  Contact John Sowinski <jfsknights@gmail.com> or text 716-570-7427 for tickets.

 

C&B Books.  This year, Gregory Traves Gregory TKofC@gmail.com would like to hear from each council as to the minimum number of books they need. Consider how many books your council received and how many books were sold last year. Participation in selling C&B books is purely your choice. If you have not participated in the program lately, you are always welcome to be involved again. The total number of books requested would be sent up the C&B chain of command with the idea in mind that the chairman would send us the minimum number of books we need. The State Chairman wishes us to be judicious with the requests for books, but they will send us more books if we need them. I will send this request to all the WNY councils soon. 

 

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