Knights of Columbus St. Anthony’s Council #10693 of Manteca is a Columbian Award winner for the 2008-2009 fraternal year.

The award is presented for excellence in the sponsorship of programs that serve the church, community, families, and the youth as well as council members.

District Deputy Nat Garcia presented the engraved plaque to the council at a special ceremony held on Nov. 2.

In accepting the award, Melvin Picanco, head of the local council, said “Receiving this award is quite an honor. We’re very pleased with this accomplishment.”

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic lay organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, their communities, families, and young people. With more than 1.7 million members in more than 13,000 councils around the world, the Knights of Columbus annually donates over $I 50 million and 68 million hours of service to charitable causes every year.