Knights use tootsie rolls to help children with disabilities

Tootsie Roll-generated donations provided a sweet surprise for a nonprofit children’s agency.

United Services for Children this month received a $1,372.50 donation from the Incarnate Word Knights of Columbus Council 9981.

Jeanne Palombo, United Services’ director of planned giving, said the agency would use the money to provide vital early intervention support and therapy to children. “We are very grateful for the ongoing, generous support of the Knights of Columbus Council 9981, who devote countless hours of their time the Tootsie Roll drive, raising money to help children in our community,” she said.

The 150-member council, based in Chesterfield, has donated a portion of money raised during the Tootsie Roll drive to United Services for Children every year since 2002. Palombo said this year’s donation was more than they had expected.

Don Mueller, Grand Knight of Council 9981, said the members wanted to support United Services’ mission to assist children with developmental disabilities. “We’ve toured the facilities and seen for ourselves the incredible job United Services does working with the children in their care,” he said.

United Services for Children, founded in 1975, operates two pediatric therapy and developmental learning centers in St. Charles County. The agency serves approximately 1,000 children annually, including children with disabilities and typically developing children.

Mueller joined Andy Dyszlewski, chairman of the Tootsie Roll fundraising drive, Jan. 17 at United Services’ St. Peters center as they presented the check to Ann Neuner, site director, and Diane Wolferding, resource development director.

“Seeing how so many children will be helped by the Tootsie Roll drive is a sweet reward for me and all the other Knights of Council 9981,” Dyszlewski said.

The money was a portion of approximately $10,000 the Knights of Columbus Council 9981 raised during the Columbus Day holiday weekend in October. That is when Knights hit the streets and store fronts in their communities to distribute Tootsie Rolls for the annual Drive for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, commonly referred to as the “Tootsie Roll drive.” The Knights do not “sell” the candy, but distribute them in return for whatever monetary donation the recipients choose. Donations can range from pennies to hundreds of dollars.

Now in its 42nd year, the annual drive is organized through the Missouri Knights of Columbus State Council, which collects all proceeds from the drive. Half the money is used to manage the Knights of Columbus Developmental Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis.

The council returns the other half to local Knights of Columbus councils to distribute to Missouri organizations that serve people with developmental disabilities.

Mueller said the drive tied in with the Knights’ four pillars­­­—charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. He said the Knights were a “benevolent organization of Christian men” who were “humbled” to be able to help children with developmental disabilities by supporting organizations like United Services for Children.