A new scholarship is now being offered through the Knoxville Panther Scholarship foundation in honor of Chuck Galeazzi.
Galeazzi had a huge heart and a broad vision about what it meant to be a good neighbor and a Samaritan. For decades, he opened doors to the poor and vulnerable citizens of Knoxville and surrounding communities. He answered phone calls at all hours, mopped floors, begged for holiday turkeys, hauled donations from far and wide in his old truck and offered hugs to folks in their toughest times.
Nearly every shirt he owned bore his mantra of HOPE- “Help Other People Every Day.” Chuck always did whatever it took to help others. He and his friend, David Costello, started “Hope Builders”, a ministry for the poor and homeless people of Des Moines. They spent endless hours building dwellings and shelters for the homeless. Chuck volunteered for 25 years coaching Peewee baseball, organizing and spearheading various community projects, including the construction of Auld Park, the Skate Park and more. Chuck was well known for the work he did as the director of Helping Hands Food Pantry in Knoxville.
Chuck graduated from Knoxville High School (KHS) in 1963 and his wife Elaine with the class of 1975. Their sons, Tim, Tony, Troy, Ty, Chaz and Jay are all KHS graduates. The Chuck Galeazzi Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a Knoxville High School graduate whose activities and volunteer service exemplifies Chuck’s mantra of “Help Other People Every Day.”
If you would like to contribute to help keep this scholarship going in future years, send your contributions in Chick’s name to KPS Foundation P O Box 302 Knoxville, IA. 50138, go to the Foundation website at kpsfoundation.org to donate or contact Board President Curt Froyen at 641-892-7170 by phone or email at irishsciguy@hotmail.com.
