Tootsie Roll Drive Recipient Wins Hearts of Knights of Columbus / and Educators

By Pauline Masson – Local Knights of Columbus members got more than they anticipated January 18 when they presented a check for $1,000 to 15-year-old girl who is hearing impaired.

The money was collected from Father Berry Council Knights of Columbus members and friends of Knights in lieu of the annual Tootsie Roll drive.

“Usually we stand in front of stores and hand out Tootsie Rolls and ask for donations, said Bruce Johnson, 2022 Tootsie Roll drive chair. “But this year due to COVID we still called it the Tootsie Roll Drive but we did it by mail. And we received donations.. So here we are.”

Bruce spoke in the Pacific Intermediate School library where the check presentation was to take pace. 

When Dr. Ketina Armstrong introduced Samantha “Sam” Turner to the assembled adults, the self-assured fifth grader walked around the circle of school officials and knights and shook the hand of each individual, 

Sam told the assembled adults that she was surprised by the unexpected gift but she would spend the money well, using it for hearing technology that would help with her classroom learning experience.

Present were Dr. Carrie Schwierjohn, superintendent; Dr. Ketina Armstrong, MVR-III communications director; Matt Agee, Pacific Intermediate (PI) principal; Josh Grodie, PI assistant principal; Heather Vazquez, school nurse; Jessie Grant, Sam’s speech and language teacher; Roger Wiersma; Father Berry Council KC grand knight; Knights Bob Murphy and Bruce Johnson; and me, Hometown Matters reporter.

Sam’s mother Jamie Turner was also astonished at the unanticipated gift.

“This is a complete surprise to us,” Jamie said. “But this is very nice.”

For local KCs the check presentation ceremony has been a yearly ritual for the past twenty years.

Until 2002, the Father Barry Council members, like Knights from around the world, stood in front of local stores and businesses, handed out Tootsie Rolls and asked for a goodwill donation that would benefit children.

The Council sent the proceeds to the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital research or to the Special Olympics.

But that year, the late Billy Murphy long-time member of Father Berry Council was the Tootsie Roll drive chair. He said he wanted the local community to benefit from the drive. 

Billy reasoned that local residents that donated to local knights handing out Tootsie Rolls might like to see how those funds helped someone. He asked his fellow council members to donate half of the year’s proceeds to a local family that was facing extraordinary medical costs for a child.

He turned to the late Randy George, Meramec Valley R-III superintendent to help select the local family who would receive the funds. Superintendent George turned to school district nurses to survey the student population and help select a recipient for the funds each year.

“We’re happy to help with any program that benefits children,” George said.

Murphy said the Knights were well aware of the financial challenges that catastrophic illness places on families.

The practice of give half the funds collected in the Tootsie Roll drive to a local family has continued every year.

This year, representing the Father Berry Council was Roger Wiersma, grand knight; Bruce Johnson, Tootsie Roll chair and Bob Murphy, son of the late Billy Murphy who has been on hand for each of the twenty presentations.

“It was really important to my Dad that the fund would be shared with someone local,” Murphy said. “This was something that was really personal to him. 

In his lifetime, it was the elder Murphy who presented the check to a local family each year.

“It has always been a special event for us,” Bruce Johnson said. “But I have to say, it was pretty heart warming to meet this young girl who is so sure of her own progress.”