Funds going to Maison de la Sérénité de Laval palliative residence
A “Spaghetti Day” fundraiser held on April 30 by the Chevaliers de Colomb’s five councils in Laval at the Embassy Plaza on Curé Labelle Blvd. raised around $15,000 for the Maison de la Sérénité de Laval, a palliative care facility in Saint-Vincent-de-Paul.
Reviving a tradition
Until Sunday April 30, it had been three years since the Laval Chevaliers de Colomb last held one of their traditional spaghetti dinner fundraisers.
Local elected officials from the federal, provincial and municipal governments, took turns from 10 am to 7 pm serving up plates of spaghetti topped with sauce, while also waiting on tables. For those who stuck around until the end of the day there were prizes to be raffled off.
A big turnout
Several hundred supporters had turned up to buy tickets and chow down on pasta by early afternoon on Sunday, with more than 800 more expected, according to Chevaliers de Colomb Ste-Dorothée Council Grand Knight Pierre Côté who was leading the operation.
All funds raised are going towards the Maison de la Sérénité de Laval palliative care residence
Most recently, the Laval Chevaliers held annual spaghetti fundraisers at least up to 2018, but were forced to suspend the practice two years later as the Covid pandemic was getting underway.
However, they were also holding spaghetti dinner fundraisers as far back as the 1980s, according to Grand Knight Côté, who said members of the Laval Police Dept. eventually took on the cause as a fundraiser.
A legacy of helping
Founded in the U.S. during the late 19th century, the Chevaliers de Colomb (Knights of Columbus) continue to be very active around the world as a service organization.
According to online C of C sources, there are more than 16,000 local Knights of Columbus councils around the world, with an estimated 2 million members globally. Among the causes supported by the Chevaliers/Knights are refugee relief, education, local Catholic churches and dioceses, as well as global social and political causes.
As well, the Chevaliers/Knights are dedicated to the principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism.
