Growing up in Springfield, Anna Thoele said her mom, Therese Thoele, would bring her and her siblings to the St. Martin de Porres Center to volunteer on Saturdays. It was one of my grandparents favorite charities, said Thoele, referring to her mom s parents, Harriet and Lawrence Hagele. After they passed away, my mom kept it going and took all of us.
So it was a natural that Thoele would show up Friday at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Meadowbrook Drive to donate to the All-City Food Drive.
Volunteers, including students from schools which compete in the Boys City Basketball Tournament Lanphier, Southeast, Springfield and Sacred Heart-Griffin raised a little over $100,000 for St. Martin de Porres, more than doubling a goal set last week.