Back to School Bash

at Mableton Elementary School

July 26, 2019

It has been the practice for several years for Mableton First Baptist Church to help with the back-to-school event at Mableton Elementary School, which is just up the street.

One of the things we did this year was to provide backpacks with school supplies for students with an indicated need. We have provided backpacks in various ways over the years, and this year we gave them out at this pre-school event. We had collected items for the backpacks at the church throughout the summer, and the kids at the Summer Day Camp helped pack the supplies in the backpacks.

We had a good crew of volunteers from the church to provide items to the families who came. In the above photo from left to right, Becky Ridgway is at the popcorn machine. Billy Ridgway, Elaine Ridgway, Mary Brumbelow and our Transitional Pastor, Ian Bowers at the right.

Mary Brumbelow and Pastor Ian stand by to hand out the backpacks while Billy and Elaine interact with the people who were to get one.

We transported our grill, sno-cone machine, and popcorn machine to the school. The point was to greet and support with a free service to the community. Mike Davis and Waymon Story cooked a huge number of hotdogs which we gave away free.

Mike and Waymon were kept busy during the entire duration of the two-hour event, 4-6pm. They handed over the hotdogs to Al Vineyard, who was amazingly fast at wrapping hotdogs. Al, Ricky Ridgway, Rod Nave handed out hotdogs and greeted the people.

We kept a line of over twenty people most of the time. We got to talk to a lot of families and it was a fun time.

On this July afternoon our sno-cone machine was very popular, with thirty or more people in line throughout the two hour period. The popcorn machine was also continuously busy. Becky Ridgway and Barbara Floyd operate the popcorn machine at this point, with Lorraine Shaw and Janet Vineyard dispensing the flavors for the sno-cones. Others involved with these two busy machines were Eddie Good, Mary Brumbelow, Wanda Willey, Keith Weaver, Betsy Weaver, Brett Graham, Sharon English and Dan Horton. Other helpers were Johnny Huffman, Jim and Sharon Lance. My count is about twenty three persons in the team, and I've probably missed some!