Council Activities

St. Isidore Council 5898
Leopold, Missouri
Edgar's Unforgettable Month:
No One Fights Alone

Council 5898 and the surrounding community came together to conduct a variety of activities to raise funds for Edgar, a council member diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Edgar, a Knight since the age of 18, came from a family of Knights. His father was a charter member of the council when it formed in 1966, and all of Edgar’s six brothers joined as well. During Edgar’s 37 years as a Knight, he and his wife received, organized and submitted the council’s entries for the Missouri State Knights of Columbus annual horseshoe tournament. Edgar also frequently provided the food and other items needed for various projects and programs.

Upon learning of his terminal cancer diagnosis, the council approached Edgar, wishing to host a benefit in his name.

What began as an idea to have a “normal” benefit swiftly grew into a community-wide series of events. Forty-three people attended the initial organizational meeting in September, which was then followed with weekly meetings attended by 35-50 people. These gatherings always began with a prayer for Edgar’s health. Ultimately, the council decided to hold 12 fundraising activities, with a separate chairperson leading each.

These 12 events - a horseshoe tournament; dry dumpling sales; an ATV poker run; a euchre tournament; a softball tournament; a shooting match; a benefit dinner; silent and oral auctions; the raffle of a Kia® automobile; and additional raffles, souvenir sales and sponsorship drives - brought together all the Knights of the council and their families, as well as members of the community.

At the end of the two-month campaign, the council was able to present a donation of $81,508 to Edgar and his wife. Sadly, a few months later, Edgar lost his four-year battle to cancer.