200 join in annual Knights-Kaderli fundraising walk in East Shelby
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Rebecca Mannella looks at a poster of an $8,500 check donated to the Knights-Kaderli fund by Lizzy's Loves, a charity in memory of Liz Monell-Higgins, who died of cancer in 2018. The check represents the proceeds of their family's annual golf tournament. It was displayed with the basket raffle at today’s walk.
MEDINA – Thirty-three years ago, two local families who lost loved ones to cancer combined their fundraising efforts to found the Knights-Kaderli Fund.
Since then, the families of Richard Knights and Sue Kaderli have given out more than $800,000 to 750 cancer patients and their families, to help with medical bills, food, transportation and living expenses.
It has become a tradition that the Knights-Kaderli Walk is held the first Saturday in October at East Shelby Volunteer Fire Hall. While Covid dampened their fundraising the past two years, this year the event was back in full swing.
Kathy Hodgins, Kathy McCauley and Joe Rosenbeck, all of Medina, show their excitement at completing the Knights-Kaderli Walk. Approximately 200 participants completed the course.
Approximately 200 participants showed up this morning for the 34th annual Knights-Kaderli Walk. They ranged from the youngest – six-week-old Garrett Walker who was pushed in his stroller by his mother Emma Wolter and grandmothers Julie Wolter and Lynn Ambrose, to 69-year-old Joe Rosenbeck, who was among the first group to finish.
The fundraiser is a family event for many, such as the McAdoos. Katie McAdoo, granddaughter of the late Ken McAdoo, and her daughter Gracelynne Kujawa, 8, walked, along with Ken’s daughter-in-law, Kristin McAdoo and her son Justin. Also joining them was cousin Allie McAdoo.
Gracelynne walks every year, her mother said. This year she was recognized for the most pledges by a youth, $50, said Stacey Knights Pellicano, daughter of the late Richard Knights and an organizer of the event. The most money brought in by an adult was $4,679 by Barb Hale of Medina.
Christine Griffin contemplates purchase raffle tickets at the Knights-Kaderli benefit today at East Shelby Volunteer Fire Hall. Seated from left are Stacey Knights Pellicano and Mary Kaderli Zelazny.
The family of Sue Martin of Medina have also been big supporters of the walk. They have walked together as a family in past years, and Sue has helped register participants every year. She has walked for at least 20 years, she said. She was going to try this year with daughter Sarah Hanssen, even though she had a bad knee.
A basket raffle and big-ticket raffle items were also part of the fundraiser, along with a “last number drawn” game and 50/50 drawing.
The Knights-Kaderli Fund got a big boost from an $8,500 donation from the Lizzy’s Love Fund, a charity in honor of the late Liz Monell-Higgins. The check represents the proceeds from a golf tournament they hold every July.
Pellicano said the walk raises between $15,000 and $20,000 each year. The record year was almost $30,000.
Donations to the Knights-Kaderli Fund can be made by logging onto the Knights-Kaderli website or by paying through Venmo or Paypal, or by sending a check to P.O. Box 684, Medina, 14103.
Six week-old Garrett Wolter was the youngest participant in the Knights-Kaderli Walk on Saturday. With him, from left, are his grandmas, Julie Wolter and Lynn Ambrose and mother Emma Wolter.
Kristin McAdoo, her son Justin and grandson Gracelynne Kujawa, 8, wait for the walk to start.
Luke Duffina, 13, grabs a bottle of water at the conclusion of the Knights-Kaderli Walk. He was the first person in overall. With him is Laura Albone, the first woman to complete the walk.
