November 21, 2009 |
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Knights come to the rescue of school and its studentsST. PETERSBURG | Sister Eileen Marie Woodbury could hardly be described as a damsel in distress. On the other hand, the principal of Notre Dame Interparochial Catholic School is pleased that some local Knights – with or without armor – are coming to her students’ rescue in a heroic way. For several years now, Knights of Columbus councils in the Spring Hill area have supported the school piecemeal, giving cash donations or volunteering on school improvement projects as needed. Earlier this year, Sister Woodbury wondered if she could draw on more organized, regular and combined assistance from the area councils. “When they band together, there’s power behind them,” the Franciscan Sisters of St. Elizabeth sister said. A few months ago, Sister Woodbury presented a school luncheon for the Knights to show her appreciation for their past assistance. Al Thompson, Deputy Director of the Knights of Columbus district that represents six councils and about 1,500 members in the Hernando area, asked Sister Woodbury what else the Knights could do. She had ideas. “One area was in advertising. Notre Dame Catholic School is probably one of the best kept secrets of Spring Hill,” Thompson said. “She also said she has had problems losing children because of the hard times.” More and more families are seeking assistance from the school or diocese to keep their children in the Catholic school, the principal said. Some are leaving. “We’re definitely down, and it has a lot to do with the economy,” Sister Woodbury said. “Through all of Hernando County, the kids are not there anymore. The families are moving. … We’ve had a lot of inquires on … tuition help – much more than before.” It was decided that a new group comprising Knights from all the area councils would be created to address the needs of the school. Those joining needed to be dedicated to education, to Notre Dame School and to raising money for a good cause. No problem. “What do the Knights do best … is raise funds,” Thompson said. “We’ll sell newspapers on the corner if it will help raise money for our school and our church.” The district deputy met with the grand knights of the councils at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Theresa, St. Joan of Arc, St. Mary Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Anthony parishes. “I asked (each of) them to get together three, four or five Knights that would be interested in getting together to help the school. I explained what was needed,” Thompson said. “It was time for the Knights to step up.” The men talked about different fundraising options. Thompson didn’t want a golf tournament because so much of the proceeds went to the golf course. Other options weren’t right either. The men settled on hosting a really special dinner. They wanted something fun, something classy, something people would scramble to attend. By using their contacts in the community to keep the quality high and the costs down, it had the potential to make some real money, Thompson said. The dinner will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, at the St. Jude Knights Council building, 10470 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. The cost is $30 a person. Proceeds will benefit the school. Thompson said it’s going to be special. “We’re talking prime rib, round tables, candlelight, dress-up – the whole thing.” In addition to the dinner and program, awards will be presented to local individuals, none of them Knights, for their dedication to children and Catholic schools. Pastors of the supporting parishes will select the recipients. After the dinner, the Knights dedication to the school will continue. Through the creation of the Notre Dame Education Society, they hope to raise thousands every year to help families struggling with tuition. Joining the society will require a one-time fee of $100 per member. Knights and non-Knights can join the society. “We feel that if we can get 500 members, that’s $50,000,” the district deputy said. “If we can get 1,000 members, that’s $100,000.” If all goes as planned, the work of the society will spread beyond Notre Dame. Through scholarships, Thompson also hopes to support the education of local students attending Catholic high schools and colleges. “We’re following the ‘Catholic’ all the way,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with a public school education. We have very good public schools here. But we lose the Catholic aspect of it. We lose the church part. ... We lose the children because of peer pressure (in public schools).” Sister Woodbury called Knights involvement a godsend. “We finally have a group of people who have banded together to help the school. … This is really big,” she said. “Especially in this economy, God knows families in Hernando County need the help.”
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