Mill Creek welcomes, thanks Knights of Columbus

Since 1999, the Knights of Columbus have contributed $96,505 to Madison City Schools. Mill Creek Elementary School hosted an appreciation walkthrough for these men from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Special education director Dr. Maria Kilgore said the tour showed supplies and equipment purchased with “their continued monetary generosity to (the district) and our special education program.”

The knights had asked Kilgore about Mill Creek’s facilities and students in special education. Mill Creek has all preschool programs for special education, along with K-1 self-contained programs.

“Why don’t you take a tour of school?” Kilgore asked them. “You need to see what you’ve been buying.”

The tour group included grand knight Danny Garcia, chancellor Jerome Villarreal, trustee John Phillip, Dan Lapham and his wife Mary Lapham, past grand knight Bill Moeller, James Cook and Joey Cook.

In the special education wing, the knights observed children in classroom activities and interacting with teachers and SmartBoards.

Kilgore described the group’s donations as “icing on the cake. Even though we get local, state and federal money, that’s spent on personnel and other needs.” Their help “encourages community participation to see our program and the growth of our special education students.”

Eighty percent of proceeds of the knights’ annual Tootsie Roll Drive stays locally. “We send letters for larger ticket items at the knights’ state level,” Kilgore said. School employees and Bob Jones High School students volunteer with the candy drives.

Garcia said Knight of Columbus members are Catholic men at least 18 years old “who are committed to making their community a better place, while supporting their church.” The organization was founded in New Haven, Conn. in 1882 and has grown to more than 14,000 councils and 1.8 million members worldwide.

Chartered in 1990, the St. John’s council has 243 members.

“Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works,” Garcia said.