DYER | Knights of Columbus Council 8082 will be having some pre-Lenten fun and helping some very sick children Jan. 31 when it hosts its first paczki banquet, ball and silent auction to benefit children's interstitial lung disease.
The event begins at 5 p.m. with a cash bar cocktail hour and silent auction (through 9 p.m.) and continues with dinner at 6 p.m. and dancing to the music of The Changing Times polka band from 7 to 10 p.m. It will be held at Casa Maria Hall at St. Maria Goretti Church, 500 Northgate Drive.
The dinner menu includes Polish sausage and sauerkraut, stuffed cabbage, baked chicken, a vegetable, salad, bread, coffee or tea and for dessert, paczki.
Tickets are $25, and reservations are required by Sunday; no tickets will be sold at the door. For tickets and more information, call Stan Dabrowski at (219) 865-6757.
The reality of children interstitial lung disease hits close to home for the Knights of Columbus, whose efforts could help find a cure for 20-month-old William Mulligan, of St. John. This toddler is hooked up to an oxygen tank wherever he goes, and his parents, Chad and Lisa Mulligan, are dedicated to supporting the chILD Foundation.
"They and little William, along with the Knights, hope many of you will come out to enjoy the paczki banquet, ball and silent auction and support the chILD Foundation," said Frank Behr, of Knights of Columbus Council 8082.
Despite his limitations, added Behr, William "is an active toddler that lives life to the fullest."
All proceeds from the event, which the Knights hope will become an annual affair, will benefit the chILD Foundation's research program, which receives very little funding due to the rarity of these diseases.
"There will be great food, great drinks, great prizes and all proceeds will fund research for the chILD organization so we can hopefully, some day, find a cure," added Chad Mulligan.
All forms of children's interstitial lung disease, actually a group of several rare lung disorders that have various causes and degrees of severity, are rare, and not much is known about how to treat these children or why some get the disease. Diagnosis is difficult, limited treatment information is available, patients have limited access to experienced health care providers since many doctors do not see a single case in a career, and the size of the population makes research difficult.
The chILD Foundation, based in Norman, Okla., works to raise awareness of the chILD syndromes and raise funds to further the research. The 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization offers parents support, education and hope.
