Knights of Columbus donate to OMMS

Each year the Knights of Columbus, which is a Catholic Fraternal Order, holds a fundraising drive to help persons with intellectual disabilities. Titled "Tootsie Roll Drive," donors are given a tootsie roll in thanks for making a donation. Funds raised from this drive go to the State Knights of Columbus Council, with 20 percent of the individual council receipts being used on state-wide charities, and the other 80 percent being earmarked for designated local charities or programs that work with persons having an intellectual disability.

The Knights of Columbus Council 13446 from Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, located at 7340 Cahaba Valley Road, chose to use the donations collected from their 2017 "Tootsie Roll Drive" to help The Nazareth House (a Catholic Ministry for people with intellectual disabilities headed by Patrick Cullen), Glenwood Autism & Behavioral Health Center and Oak Mountain Middle School.

On Wednesday Feb. 14, Tootsie Roll Drive chairman Knight Tom Membrino and Deputy Grand Knight Phillip Troha, on behalf of Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church Knights of Columbus, presented Larry Haynes, principal of Oak Mountain Middle School, with a check for $255.00 to be used in the school's program for children that have an intellectual disability, a program Haynes and his staff are very proud to have at Oak Mountain Middle School.

-Submitted by Phillip Troha