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Lakeside parish raises $1,300 for Fallbrook fire victims

A fundraiser organized by and initially for Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the Catholic Church in Lakeside, will send approximately $1,300 to Father Bud Kaicher and St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Fallbrook to help victims of the Rice Fire.

Proceeds from the October 28 dinner at Gaetano’s, an Italian restaurant on the outskirts of Lakeside, were originally intended to be used for OLPH’s Faith Formation program, but after the fire devastation the organizers opted to send the money to St. Peter’s and its pastor.

“[Sister Frances Michele Francese, CSJ] and I just kind of made that executive decision,” said Arlette Leggitt, the Youth Activities Coordinator for Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Kaicher is no stranger to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. “He grew up in this parish, and I know that he works really in-depth in [Fallbrook],” Leggitt said. “I know he will get the money where it needs to go.”

At one time both St. Peter’s priests had Our Lady of Perpetual Help connections. Father Ben Davison was at OLPH before being transferred to the Fallbrook parish. Davison is now at St. Kieran’s in eastern El Cajon.

Leggitt grew up in the Lakeside parish and knew both Kaicher and Davison before they were assigned to St. Peter’s. Leggitt’s brother attended El Capitan High School with Kaicher.

The Faith Formation program at OLPH covers the junior high school, high school, and young adult groups. The parish has two fundraisers each year at Gaetano’s. OLPH parishioners from the high school group volunteered to work at the October event.

The October 28 fundraiser had been scheduled prior to the fires. “It had been on the calendar for months,” Leggitt said.

After the fires decimated several communities, Leggitt and Francese felt that fire victims could use the money more than the church program. They selected “Father Bud” as the recipient of the funds. “He doesn’t know it yet,” Leggitt said the day after the fundraiser. “We kind of picked him.”

Although the money planned for the Faith Formation ministry will instead go to St. Peter’s before being distributed to needy fire victims, OLPH has no plans for a makeup fundraiser. “I think we’re just probably going to tighten the belt and do whatever we need to do,” Leggitt said.

Leggitt added that once she is in contact with Kaicher she hopes to plan a subsequent food and clothing drive for Fallbrook.

 

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