Knights of Columbus raised $10 million for Katrina relief

Published: 2006-07-19

NEW ORLEANS (CNS) -- The $10 million raised by the Knights of Columbus for hurricane relief on the Gulf Coast represents the largest disaster relief effort in the organization's 124-year history, said Patrick Korten, vice president for communications. Almost before the winds had died down on the Gulf Coast following Katrina in August 2005, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson had initiated a conference call with all state directors in the United States and Canada to begin relief efforts. "The first response was to place $2.5 million aside for disaster relief immediately," Korten told the Clarion Herald, New Orleans archdiocesan newspaper, during a visit to New Orleans. He said that even before local councils knew what was going on at the national level they were raising funds and collecting supplies. "The local Knights didn't wait, they were already doing something," Korten said. For the first two months following the storm the supreme council matched all funds raised at the local level, adding another $2 million to its initial commitment, he said.

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