The Knights of Columbus Bishop McLaughlin Council 3495 in Morris Plains, N.J., held its annual Family Life Night on July 15 at Red Oaks School.
During the event, Grand Knight Gary Richenaker thanked his brother knights for their charitable efforts. The council donated $30,000 towards many who serve St. Virgil Parish, also in Morris Plains, and in support of the community.
The youth, parish, family, and community award recipients were as follows:
The $8,000 Paterson Federation Knights of Columbus Partial High School Scholarship: Kaitlin Shenloogian.
The George Marinaro Award for Highest Academic Achievement: Birannea Memory and Sofia Viola.
St. Virgil’s Appalachian Outreach and Youth Ministry: Nina Rangel and Keith Chesnut.
St. Virgil’s Faith Formation: Marcy Funk.
Sir Knight James McErlane Memorial Award: Bernadette Ponticelli Szoke.
Catechist of the Year: Rachel Sambrowski
Family of the Year: the Paviar Family
Police and Firefighter Shield Awards: Patrolman Nyquan Shaw and Firefighter Michael Zucker.
The Thaddues Kosakowski Memorial EMS Award: Daniel Cantirino.
The Paterson Federation Keep Christ in Christmas Billboard: Past Grant Knight Mike Vaclaviecek. Further donations went to Steven Coutts, director and founder of the Special Parent Organization: Lee Bendear of Morris Minute Men; and Karen Carbonello of Several Sources Shelters.
The knights presented their Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities donations to Laura Jennings of ARC of Morris County, Kaitlin Krumeich of Employment Horizons, Regina Smith and Kira Cruz of Camp Fatima, Jose Nieto of Camp Marcella, and Hazel Yaptangco, development director of Paterson Diocesan Catholic Charities, and Michael Calabrese for Calabrese House, a group home of the Department for Persons with Disabilities (DPD), part of Catholic Charities.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The knights also made donations to Julie Hess of Homeless Solutions; Omar and Jenny Fernandez of LIFENET; Joanna Miller, DPD executive director, for Walking with Moms in Need; Tina Magarino of Birth Haven; Jayne Blake of Jersey Battered Women’s Services; Carolyn Lake of Interfaith Food Pantry of Morris County; Jami Blake of Morristown Meals on Wheels; Jane Flynn of Operation Chillout; Nina Amello of Remember Me Inc.; and Operation Jersey Care.
The final youth, parish, family, and community award was presented to Father Luke Wnuk, St. Virgil’s pastor, for parishioners in need.
In addition, the Bishop McLaughlin Council earned eight Knights of Columbus State Awards, including the highest state award, The Star Council, presented by District Deputy Spiecker to Richenaker.
The Knight of The Year Award was presented to brother knight Mike Fichter who accepted it on behalf of the brother knights of Council 3495.
Mike Fichter is the publicity director of Knights of Columbus Bishop McLaughlin Council 3495.
