Knights of Columbus donates $250,000 for Asian Disaster Relief

The Executive Committee of the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors has voted to contribute $250,000 to disaster relief efforts in Asia in the wake of the tremendous death and destruction caused by the recent tsunami. In addition, individual Knights and councils in the United States and Canada are being encouraged to add donations of their own through Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc. and Knights of Columbus Canada Charities, Inc. A special fund devoted exclusively to Asian disaster relief has been set up to receive the additional donations.

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson set a goal of raising $1 million in Knights of  Columbus relief donations. "The death and destruction caused by this horrible natural disaster is almost beyond imagining," Anderson observed.  "We Knights have always been known for our devotion to charity, and we will respond to this need quickly and generously.  And of course, we'll not only help to meet the vast material needs of the survivors, we'll pray for the victims and survivors as well."

Money raised by the Knights of Columbus will be sent to international Catholic relief agencies, which are providing aid and assistance to all who need it, irrespective of their religious faith, as well as to hard-hit Catholic dioceses in the region to meet their urgent needs. Several days ago, Pope John Paul II urged "believers and all men and women of good will to contribute generously to the major operation of solidarity for these peoples so tragically stricken and now exposed to the epidemics of disease."

In 2004, the Knights of Columbus donated tens of thousands of dollars in disaster relief for victims of hurricanes which struck Florida and a number of islands in the Caribbean, and will also provide aid to recent typhoon victims in the Philippines, where there are nearly 200,000 members of the Knights of Columbus.

Donation checks should be mailed to the following addresses, and clearly marked as "Asian Disaster Relief" contributions:

In the United States, make checks payable to:

Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc.
PO Box 9028
Pittsfield, MA  01202-9028
attn: Asian Disaster Relief

In Canada, make checks payable to:

Knights of Columbus Canada Charities, Inc.
PO Box 7252 Station A
Toronto, ON M5W 1X9
attn: Asian Disaster Relief