One cold and wintery day, after getting lost on my way to a 5K race near Monroe, I found the small bar where the race started. After briefly warming up, the race began----- up and down the hills into the wind. Only a handful, maybe 25 raced that day, and it was going to be one of my slowest races. In a nutshell, it was one miserable race.
For the record, I was not last, but close to it. I visualized all the runners sipping a warm whiskey at the bar during my last mile. Anyway, at the finish there was one lone official cheering and waving his hands. "Come on Champions, Come on. Finish strong." Yes, that was Fr. Campion. He sure made us feel worthwhile despite the poor time. This was just one of the countless fund raisers he held yearly for his mission of aiding the handicapped.
Each year for the past 39 years he has been celebrating in Monroe a Christmas Party for the Handicapped. It has grown over the years to be a celebration for all the handicapped in Southern Wisconsin.
Click on the post for a description of the party and the words of Retired Bishop Bullock.
If you have a chance to meet Fr. Campion, by all means I recommend it. He conveys to each person he meets that dignity that he wants each to never lose touch with. At the Christmas time especially the story of Fr. Campion is part of the good news we celebrate.
The Evansville Observer Archive: The unofficial history of Evansville, Wisconsin from 2005-2013: Thousands of Video and Audio and Articles; Free: To Search scroll to the Search this Blog line and enter name of person, topic, or issue. Then scroll up to see all articles. Or use Google Search by topic. Enjoy.
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