Brother Oli Cajanek of Rev. J.E. Regan Council 3909 – is in Mazatlan helping Poor people by running a Community Centre providing programs and feeding on average 50 kids twice a day with 5 staff. He also runs a sponsorship program with the help of his friends which has produced over 100 graduates. Currently his project is sponsoring 14 students in high school and 22 in university. Ramirez, the World Boxing Champion has joined his executive as president of the non-profit association and started a boxing academy for 30 Teenagers and 10 Adults.
Bro Oli has been involved with the Familia Community Centre for 20 years and have taken it over 15 years ago by forming a non-profit Association ” Amigos del Centro Comunitario Familia A.C. ” Bro. Oli raises money by putting on a golf tournament once a year called ” Memo Villa Classic- Rally for the Kids” named after a friend who built the Basketball Court and passed away last year. El Cid Resort donate the golf course to him and a Finance committee of friends, who believe in the cause, sell registrations for golf, hole sponsorships, 50-50 draw, Mulligans and silent auction for many dinners for two, and prizes donated by Mazatlan Businesses. His friends also put on a basket of liquors for a raffle at a Rock N’ Roll event. The funds raised are enough to feed the kids, pay 5 staff, and put on parties for them for a whole year. Gilberto ( Zurdo )Ramirez the world Champion Boxer is helping him renovate and maintain the Centre.
Bro Oli’s project started in 2007 and is funded totally by donations from many Canadian and American friends because they believe in the cause. They sponsor and interact with the students and help them out of poverty. Personally, he has helped ten students and at times helped their families with food.
Bro Oli is assisted by parishioners and many friends who like what he is doing and accomplishing. The Xavierian Missionary priest used him as an example twice in his homily in the last month. Bro Oli says: “It also helps that I associate with people who like to help from the heart”. His staff are picked from the poor area and are great with children and give them something to look forward to, every day. The children are free to come and go as they please and receive two meals a day at Familia. While in Mazatlan, Oli makes 10 parties for the kids and cooks cheeseburgers with potato chips on the side and Coca Cola to drink.
Bro Oli says: “ I like to lead by example and have a large following. I am having the best time of my life at 79 years of age, and I thank God for my health”.
Bro Oli is not doing this community service for publicity or any profit, although he received the Diocesan S.S. Marie Merit Medal, and with his wife, a distinguishing honor by the Ministry of Sinaloa as Mazatlan’s Official Tourism Ambassadors, ” For unselfish service to the Mazatlan community; because without Oli and Betty, Mazatlan would not be the same!”
Bro Oli says: “ So you can tell I am busy at times cooking hamburgers for the kids in my Knights of Columbus apron, collecting clothes for a monthly Bazaar, and helping people”.