Special Olympics Chatham-Kent received a hefty donation from the Knights of Pythias.
The Wallaceburg Knights of Pythias, Rokeby Lodge # 9, handed a cheque for $2,000 to the local group at a presentation at the Wallaceburg site on Tuesday.
Charles Masefiled, grand vice chancellor for the Michigan Lodge and a member of the Rokeby Lodge, said the Michigan group looked north of the border when making donations.
“The Grand Lodge of Michigan had a surplus of some funds,” he said. “In Michigan they do Special Olympics in May and they fund this through their areas. They have seven areas that are really into the Special Olympics. So they decided to give seven areas plus one… here in Canada. They gave $2,000 US to help with the programs. We tracked down the group form Chatham-Kent… we’re glad to help them.”
Wallaceburg resident Joyce Fletcher, who has been a five pin bowling coach for the Special Olympics team in Wallaceburg for 13 years, said these funds will go a long way for the entire team.
“This means a lot to the group,” she said. “It will help a lot of programs, buy equipment and whatever else they need.”
Fletcher said local athletes travel to many places across Canada for the Special Olympics.
“We had an athlete group from Chatham-Kent, 31 athletes from region one, went to Vancouver and they all came home with medals,” she said.
In the photo: From left: Shaun Fletcher, Joyce Flethcher, Doug McCallum, Bob Micks and Bob Buckingham.
