Knights spread community spirit

Charlotte MacAulay
The Reverend Edwin B. Steele Council of the Knights of Columbus is giving school kids a chance to speak out on drug and alcohol abuse.
Students in Souris from grades 3 to 12 will have from now until April 8 to submitt a poster that depicts the pitfalls of drug and alcohol abuse.
A panel of judges from the community will decide winners in each age group.
Council member Pat O’connor said this is the third annual poster contest.
“It’s good to get the kids thinking about the subject.”
The contest is a spin off of an international one the knights sponsor every year, but the Souris council elected to just do it locally and give monetary prizes to the winners in each age group said Mr O’Connor.
The Knights of Columbus is a catholic fraturnal organization with more that 1.7 million members worldwide.
The Souris council is 88 years old and currently has 85 members.
Members of this organization are catholic men over the age of 18 and the programs are centered around church, family and community.
Another way the council was involved in the community recently was a basketball freethrow competition for kids 8-14 years old held on March 9 in Souris. For twenty years the knights have sponsored this event with the objective of encouraging participation in sport.
Participants from Souris and Vernon River were on hand to show off their talent and six finallists will go to compete at the provincial level at Slemon Park on March 27.
Harbourview Training Center in Souris was a recipient of a $6,000 donation from the council.
The center is a non-profit organization located in Souris which provides vocational training, onsite employment and a host of support services to clients with intellectual disabilties who live in the Morell to East Point area.
Manager Judy Hennessey said the centre is now in the second phase of a major renovation that includes an addition so the wood workshop can be moved to a more accessible level.
The Knights showed a genuine interest in what goes on in their community when they attended a tour and presentation of what goes on at the centre, she said.
“They got to really see where their money is going and we appreciated their involvement.”
The donation is a part of the $90,000 the center has to raise as their contribution to the $224,000 project. Skills P.E.I. and the provincial government share the rest of the cost.
The Souris Knights of Columbus will be giving their own public presentation on March 21 from 5:30-7p.m. at the St. Mary’s Parish Hall in Souris when they hold an open house. This is a recruitment of sorts where potential members can come and see what the council is all about, said Mr O’Connor.
For more information call 687-2193