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Knight of the Year 2010 Risen Christ Council 12854 Risen Christ Council is doing something a little extraordinary this year. We have named Dick DeLeonard and Dale Anderson Co-Knights of the year. These Knights assembled a medical equipment program that has had an enormous impact on many needy people and has become famous throughout the Treasure Valley. Dick DeLeonard is a WW-2 Navy veteran who survived being a police officer in Detroit, Michigan for 25 years. He and his wife, Shirley, moved to Kuna, Idaho and took a job with the Ada County Sheriff’s department and served 15 more years. Dick became a Knight in 1953 and has been a Knight continuously for almost 57 years! Dick has held officer positions in three different councils and in fact, was Deputy Grand Knight and Grand Knight for two councils in Idaho (#’s 889 and 12854). He was the first Grand Knight in an acting capacity for Council 12854 after working closely with State Deputy Rudy Wilson to establish the council at Risen Christ in 2001. Dale Anderson was born and raised in Glenn’s Ferry, Idaho. He grew up an avid hunter and fisherman and showed his charitable side as a young lad by frequently donating his harvest to the elderly and poor in town. Dale loved his Catholic religion and served as an altar boy for many years and assisted the parish priest whenever he could. Dale married Sheila and had three children Angie, Michelle, and Phillip. Tragedy struck twice in his family. Sheila died of cancer and Phillip was shot and killed in the line of duty as a police officer. These were truly great losses for Dale, but instead of letting tragedy overwhelm him he stepped up and helped get the fledgling parish of Risen Christ off the ground. Dale also helped get started the new Knights of Columbus council at Risen Christ by being its first warden. As Grand Knight of Council 899 in 1982, Dick was given an electric wheelchair by a fellow deputy sheriff whose father had passed away. Dick and his council presented the chair to a thirteen year-old girl afflicted with spina bifida who could not propel herself in a manual wheelchair. The young girl’s happiness after receiving this chair so impressed Dick that he thought of it often over the years. When considering charitable projects at his new council at Risen Christ Dick offered to start a medical equipment program for the needy. Dick started the program and as the only retiree single-handedly ran pickups and distributions by himself. Noticing how hard Dick was working Dale came to help and even offered his new 40’ x 60’ shop for storage. A friendly, productive partnership in medical equipment redistribution had now been created in the name of the Knights of Columbus. Dick contacted The Idaho Statesman newspaper in Boise informing them that he and Dale had amassed a large amount of equipment for redistribution, so their services were advertised in the newspaper. The program grew and grew. In years to come the medical equipment program was heralded several times by the Statesman as a “Godsend for the needy in the Boise area.” This operation has been active for nine years. Since its inception the medical equipment program has served over 4800 people, distributing about 6000 items worth a cost of approximately $2,500,000. People from within all borders of Idaho and 6 other states have benefited from the program. The medical equipment program is a function of the K of C council 12854, but its success is almost exclusively due to the efforts of Knights Dick DeLeonard and Dale Anderson. They contribute approximately 2100 hours of their personal time and put about 4000 miles on their vehicles annually working in this program. Their efforts bring perennial pride to council 12854 and create great recognition for the Knights of Columbus all across southwestern Idaho. Dale and Dick individually have contributed many, many things in terms of time and talent to the church, community, and the Knights of Columbus over their many years of service. These accomplishments will not be listed for the sake of brevity, but it cannot be over-emphasized how numerous they are. The medical equipment program of council 12854 is a model for charitable programs everywhere that will continue to grow and provide aid to people in great need. It is because of the outstanding performance in the name of good will and the Knights of Columbus that Dale Anderson and Dick DeLeonard are hereby nominated for Co-Knights of the Year for the state of Idaho. Respectfully submitted, Steve Green Grand Knight Risen Christ Council, #12854

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