Feeding families, filling hearts
The Annual Feed the Families event, April 13 at Kelly A. Burlison Middle School made a “sweet profit” of $23,000.
“Thank you to everyone who had any part in today’s Feed the Families event,” Event Organizer Teri Moss said. “We live in such a great caring community.”
The Kelly A. Burlison Middle School gym was filled with booths ranging from candy and pies to books and Easter baskets. Attendees enjoyed bidding on silent auction items as well as joining in on the live auction fun.
The Cake Decorating Contest sponsored by Relay for Life had 11 entries with cakes designed by youth in grades 3 through 5. This year’s winners were Trey Goodman in first place with his fondant bunny cake and Mason Bone in second with his chocolate Oreo creation. The two winners were awarded cash prizes donated by Mitchell Construction.
During the Cooking Clergy Auction, 13 pastors from within the community brought their baking skills to the table. Cakes ranged in flavor and design with the winning cake, a red velvet baked by Pastor Jim Graddy of Higdon Christian Church, selling for $800. The People’s Choice Award once again went to Father John Braun of St. Michael Church for his Cardinals Baseball themed cake.
Graddy said he remembers when Feed the Families was first brought up at caring council.
“Sharron Tinnin said to me on that Sunday, ‘now you need to come to the caring council on Tuesday at the Methodist Church,'” Graddy said. “So it was winter time. It snowed. So I put on my boots and I walked down to the Methodist Church and this young lady (Moss) right over here, she came and she had this weird idea that we could raise thousands of dollars by having a bake sale.”
Graddy said as a preacher he has been in lots of bake sales, and he knew that was not necessarily so.
“I came home and I told my wife this thing will never work,” Graddy said. “I didn’t tell her (Moss) that until about eight years later.”
Graddy said what he did was he misjudged this community. He misjudged Teri, and he misjudged all the “get it done” women that run this thing.
“I have met with them (organizers) for the past six or seven years, and they always are just right on top of everything and they want to do this,” Graddy said. “It is out of the love that they have that they want to do this. Then you come and you bid on things and you buy things that make all of this work. And I just wanted to say that because I’m so proud of you and I’m proud of this community and I’m proud to live here.”
All proceeds from the event will go to Madison County Food Pantry, Faith Family Worship Center Food Bank, Marquand First Baptist Food Pantry and Harvest of Hope.
Shelly Watson, Natilee Davis and Chelsea Dickinson make working hard and raising money look fun and easy as they help the children make their Easter baskets at the Feed the Families event April 13.
Paisley Collier is uncertain of what to think about meeting the Easter Bunny at the 2019 Feed the Families, April 13.
Victoria Kemper is a reporter for the Democrat News. She can be reached at 573-783-3366 or at vkemper@democratnewsonline.com
