Knights of Columbus members will again collect donations during the annual Tootsie Roll Drive on May 10-11.
Members will be collecting donations from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 10 and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 11 at the intersection of Elm Street and South Boulevard near Town & Country as well as the intersection of Grant Avenue and South Boulevard near Pizza Hut, the intersection of Darlington Avenue and East Market Street near Dollar General and the entrance to Runnings (formerly RP Home and Harvest) on U.S. 231.
All money raised supports the Special Olympics organization.
The fraternal organization has a long history of supporting the Special Olympics. In July 1968, the first Special Olympics Summer Games were held at Chicago Soldier Field. The games included 1,000 participants from throughout the United States and Canada. The Knights of Columbus was supportive of the Special Olympics from the start. Many eagerly volunteered their time and service for this inaugural event, while many more attended the games to cheer on and support the participants.
By the 1970’s Knights of Columbus Councils throughout the United States used the Tootsie Roll drive as a mechanism to help the disabled.
Since that opening game, the Special Olympics has evolved into an international competition involving more than 4 million people in more than 170 countries. Since the games began, the Knights of Columbus has volunteered more than 9 million man hours and have generously donated well over a billion dollars, thanks in large part to the generosity of donors.
