LAPLACE — For a minimum donation of $10, community members are invited to purchase tickets from Knights of Columbus Ascension of Our Lord Council 9623 members for a chance to win a one-week vacation getaway to a destination of the winner’s choice.

Tickets can be purchased through January and also include entry to the Valentine Dance Jan. 27 at the Don Bosco Hall in LaPlace, where the drawing takes place and the winner is announced.

Proceeds support the Council’s many charitable projects, including hurricane relief and scholarship opportunities for St. John the Baptist Parish youth.

 

Michael Abbate, grand knight and 30-year Council member, described the Knights of Columbus as a Catholic men’s organization advocating for families, the poor, the church and the local community.

The international Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882 and expanded to encompass more than 15,000 councils and 1.9 million members worldwide. The local Ascension of Our Lord Council regularly meets with other councils in the region and has accrued more than 150 members.

A planning meeting is held the first Wednesday every month, followed by a general meeting on the third Wednesday, and Abbate said all charity projects are planned two months in advance to ensure supplies and facilities are allocated.

Larry Larousse, membership chairman and fundraising co-chairman, said there is a common misconception that the Knights of Columbus is about men getting together to play bingo and drink beer.

Abbate dispelled the claims with a laugh.

“We don’t play bingo at all, and we don’t have much alcohol,” he said.

Above all, he said they are dedicated to charitable efforts to better others’ lives.

Since Hurricane Andrew struck the River Parishes in 1992, the Council has worked with storm victims, Abbate said.

He and Larousse have upheld the tradition with each weather event that has devastated families over the years, and they are traveling to Port Arthur, Texas, this weekend to cook hot meals for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

The cause hits close to home for Larousse, who was personally impacted by Hurricane Isaac in 2012.

When his house flooded, he went out to help others in the community while Knights of Columbus brothers helped with his house.

“That was when it really hit me that I’m part of an organization out to help the public,” Larousse said. “The warm feeling you get when people come up to you and thank you makes it worth it.”

The Council has made an impact in and outside of the parish, and these charity efforts have not gone unnoticed.

“We’ve won No. 1 Council in the state for four out of the last five years and have received national awards for helping the community,” Abbate said. “That’s been a very rewarding part of the experience.”

According to Larousse, the Council is searching for new members and will hold a membership drive Oct. 7-8 at Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church, where they will hand out fliers and answer questions.

Membership is open to practicing Catholic men who are 18 years old or older.

For more information on membership or to purchase a vacation giveaway raffle ticket, call Larousse at 504-462-3668.

— By Brooke Robichaux