.- The Knights of Columbus has set a new record for charitable giving and volunteer service in 2006.
The Knights' annual survey shows that charitable contributions totaled $143,816,004 for 2006, exceeding the previous year by more than $4 million. Of the total amount, $35,133,393 was donated by the Supreme Council, and $108,682,611 by the local councils and other groups within the lay fraternity.
The survey also shows that the Knights offered a total of 68,270,432 hours in volunteer service in 2006, up more than four million hours from 2005. Among the volunteer activities, the Knights visited the sick and bereaved (six million visits). As well, 393,807 Knights donated blood to blood banks.
Other volunteer efforts were linked to the Knights’ continued commitment to the states affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The Knights have donated more than $10 million to the relief efforts in the region.
Over the last 10 years, the Knights of Columbus has donated nearly $1.25 billion to charity, and provided in excess of 593 million hours of volunteer service.
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest lay Catholic organization, with 1.7 million members on four continents.
