Annual Intellectual Disabilities Fund Drive

The most popular and successful program conducted by Knights of Columbus Fr. McCormick Council 3880 at St. Thomas the Apostle, and Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Council 10678, Crystal Lake, is their annual benefit drive for people with intellectual disabilities..

During this annual fund-raiser, Friday September 15th and Saturday September 18th, Council 3880, and Knights of Columbus councils throughout the area, collect donations outside local Crystal Lake area retail stores and road intersections.

In appreciation, the donor is offered a Tootsie Roll. The high visibility of this program has led to the campaign being referred to as the "Tootsie Roll Drive."

In 2022, Knights of Columbus Councils nation-wide contributed $189 million and volunteered over 76 million hours helping various causes for people with intellectual and physical disabilities. Among the larger gifts of time and money the Order makes annually is to Special Olympics and other programs for people with intellectual and/or physical disabilities. The Knights of Columbus commitment to Special Olympics and to hundreds of grassroots programs for people with intellectual and physical disabilities is an expression of its belief in the intrinsic worth of every human being.

The next time you see a Knight in a yellow vest asking for donations outside a Crystal Lake area retail store or on a street corner, and you receive a Tootsie Roll, remember it's more than a "Tootsie Roll Drive." It's your opportunity to provide people with intellectual and physical disabilities more resources to live a happy life.