Co-chairs Phil Carl (l) and Milt Spaniel show the new aprons for the campaign on Oct 8 to State CPID Director John Bodensteiner.

The annual Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities (CPID), with the dispensing of tootsie rolls to donors, is a signature charity for the Knights of Columbus, not only to raise funds for a very worthy cause, but also to demonstrate within its community one of the basic tenets of the Knights - CHARITY.   

Council 10208 will conduct its CPID 7:00 am - 5:00 pm on Friday, October 8, at strategic locations including the following gates - East, West, Balboa, Glazier Peau, and Danville - both Cranford's stores, Fuel Stop, and Walmart.   Community Director Milt Spaniel and Brother Phil Carl are co-chairing this event (Phil was also co-chair last year).  On Wednesday, August 25, they mailed a letter to all council members soliciting donations and asking them to volunteer for a time slot at one of the aforementioned locations.

After submitting the net profits to the State Council, the individual councils will receive back 85%  to give to their local charities, and the State Council will use its 15% to support The Arc of Arkansas, which has been serving people with disabilities and their families for over 40 years.   As in recent years, Council 10208 will share its profits with First Step School in Hot Springs, National Camps for the Blind, and Special Olympics.

Two awards will again be given at the Knights’ State Convention next spring – one for the council with the most money raised, and one for the council with the largest per capita amount.  However, to qualify for these awards, the CPID activities must be completed and the money received by the State Secretary no later than December 10.

John Bodensteiner, Immediate Past Grand Knight of Council 10208, is coordinating the Arkansas Knights' 2010 CPID.  He will be working with all Arkansas councils in an effort to increase by 50% both the number of councils participating and the total amount of money raised.

As of this writing, volunteers were still needed to staff the various locations.  Contact Phil Carl to help.