In another demonstration of its longtime commitment to relieve human suffering with charitable acts, the Knights of Columbus has joined with The Global Wheelchair Mission and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to provide a total of 5,000 urgently needed wheelchairs to the disabled men, women, and children of Afghanistan who could not otherwise obtain this essential tool for rebuilding their lives. The Knights of Columbus donated 2,000 of the total.

Last year, the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization donated over $128 million to similar worthy charities serving young and old, representing many nations, creeds, races and ethnic origins. In addition, its 1.6 million members volunteered a record 60,821,480 hours of their time in service activities.

As a result of more than three decades of almost continuous warfare, international aid officials estimate that up to 10 percent of Afghanistan's 22 million people are physically disabled from land mines, shrapnel wounds and illness, and require wheelchairs for mobility. According to the United Nations, Afghanistan now has one of the most serious land mine problems of any country in the world.

Commenting on the gift, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said: "The participation of the Knights of Columbus in this urgent undertaking once again confirms that, while we are committed to justice, we also believe in mercy and compassion. This gift underscores in a very meaningful way that the American people care about the people of Afghanistan.

"We believe strongly that differences of religion, ethnicity and geography need not be a cause of hatred and hostility. Indeed, the legacy of America is that differences can actually strengthen us when we remain firmly committed to what unites us all as members of the human family."