Driving FORE a Family Fund

Back in 1989, John Kandra Sr. wanted to begin the tradition of a family golf outing since all six of his children played golf. His hope was to create an annual event that would always bring his children together, even after he passed away. Today, John would be happy to see the family golf outing is still going strong. But what might surprise him is the reason why.

Thanks to the efforts of his six children, this family reunion on the course has become a fundraiser, with proceeds supporting The Kandra Family Endowment Fund, in memory of John and Mary Kandra and Frank and Agnes Kandra. The Kandra family story begins at Blessed Sacrament Parish. John and Mary found a spiritual home at the (then new) parish, with Masses being held at The Roxy Theatre on Plainfield Avenue until a proper church could be built. Both Kandras got involved in parish life right away.

Mary became a member of the Ladies Guild — a group of women who organized meal trains and other helpful activities for families in need. John, who owned Advanced TV, put his handyman skills to the test at the parish and in later years, he could be found helping the parish adapt to new audio and video technologies. This life of prayerful service was a model to their six children, who fondly recall growing up in the parish and attending Blessed Sacrament School.

“In those days, there were tuition discounts for families putting multiple children through Catholic school,” remembers Carolyn Kandra Grady. “Since our family had six kids, we received many tuition discounts!” But as times changed, so too did the parish and school. After both their parents passed away, the Kandra siblings began discussing how to best honor them and keep the Kandra name alive at Blessed Sacrament.

“We continue to have memorial Masses for Mom and Dad, but we wanted to do more,” says John Kandra Jr. “We all felt that the parish and school had done so much for our family as we grew up. We wanted to figure out how we could give something back to show our gratitude.”

In 2016, John approached Father George Darling, the current pastor of Blessed Sacrament. “Father explained to us that there were a few options. While we could simply give a gift every year to the parish, he recommended that we consider creating an endowment fund through the Catholic Foundation of West Michigan. By making steady contributions into the fund, our gift would grow over time and provide even more support to the parish and school,” John recalls.

Together, the Kandra siblings decided to move forward and create The Kandra Family Endowment Fund, which provides tuition assistance for students at All Saints Academy, the school which grew out of Blessed Sacrament and three neighboring parish schools. The scholarships are awarded to families in financial need, both parishioners and non-parishioners. “Currently, we’re able to defray tuition costs for two families,” Carolyn adds. “We can’t wait to see how this grows in the future. And with our children now part of the annual golf outing, supporting the fund, we are happy the Kandra name will live on at Blessed Sacrament parish and school.”