LCRA awards $24,967 grant to renovate local Knights of Columbus Hall

New air conditioning unit, walk-in refrigerator will enable the hall to continue hosting community events

NOV. 13, 2024

LCRA representatives present a $24,967 grant to the Knights of Columbus Council 2490 for improvements to its community hall. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Kenny Trochta, Knights of Columbus diocesan deputy, Victoria diocese; Eugene Bustamante, El Campo mayor; James Kocurek, Knights council financial secretary; John Tumlinson, former grand knight; Jonathan Eide, Knights council member and hall manager; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Richard Raun, Knights council trustee; Dean “Doc” Easter, grand knight; Stephen F. Cooper, LCRA Board member; Kate Ramzinski, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; and Tim Drapela, Knights council treasurer.
EL CAMPO, Texas – The Knights of Columbus Council 2490 soon will upgrade its meeting hall with a new air conditioning unit and walk-in refrigerator, thanks to a $24,967 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $6,500 in matching contributions from the Knights of Columbus council, will enable the group to continue hosting educational, charitable and other civic events in the hall.

Former grand knight John Tumlinson said the grant will help the council replace a failing 30-year-old air conditioning unit and a 45-year-old walk-in cooler. Community groups use the kitchen for fundraising and other events several times a month, and having updated equipment will make the site more efficient and attractive to community groups, he said.

“Both the air conditioning unit and the walk-in cooler are on their last legs,” Tumlinson said. “We need to improve areas of the hall and the kitchen so we can respond to the community’s fundraising needs. The National Guard also uses our facility, and it will be great to be able to provide better services to them.”

The new energy-efficient appliances also will make it easier to continue important programming such as the Knights of Columbus blood drive in the hall.

“We’ve been hosting blood drives for about 20 years,” Tumlinson said. “Many groups from around El Campo come to participate, making it one of the largest drives outside of the Houston metroplex. It’s a fantastic effort from the community, and we want to be able to continue hosting.”

The community grant is one of 37 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January 2025. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA

The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.

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