Photo caption:Pictured are Debra Schneider, director of CHIPS of Children’s of Alabama, Carmon Maddox with Children’s Miracle Network, Mandy Cain, Director of Log A Load 4 Kids Piedmont District and Amanda Slay, Chairman of Log A Load 4 Kids Piedmont District. Cain said she is extremely thankful for her family, Amanda Slay and her entire family, Chris Ison, participants, sponsors, donors and all the other volunteers of which there are many. This event would not be possible without them. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE LAFAYETTE SUN
BY JOHN BRICE THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE— The annual Log a Load for Kids Piedmont District charity event at The Oaks Farm on Veterans Memorial Parkway in LaFayette was held Saturday, April 5. Attendees partook in a wide range of events and amenities which included a sporting clay shoot, a turkey shoot, a long shot event, guess the weight, live and silent auctions, kids’ area, raffles, concessions and food trucks.
This event is a nationwide giving campaign where loggers and others in the forest products industry donate the value of a load of logs, or any amount, to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to support the treatment of ill and injured children. Proceeds from the local event benefits the Children’s Hospital of Alabama CHIPS Clinic through efforts that have been past described by the charity which “unites loggers, landowners, foresters and wood product manufacturers in a common effort to benefit all of Alabama’s critically ill, injured and abused children, regardless of the family’s ability to pay.”
In addition, special fundraising events are organized by Log A Load For Kids volunteers to supplement donations to the hospitals.
The charity event first began in South Carolina in 1988, and has since spread to 39 other states including Alabama.
In a press release from Children’s of Alabama, it was stated that the Children’s Hospital Intervention and Prevention Service, known for short as the CHIPS Center, “is marking 30 years of caring for children this year. The CHIPS Center at Children’s of Alabama opened in 1995 and serves as an outpatient clinic where children who have experienced suspected abuse and their families impacted by suspected abuse can come for support, hope and healing. The center has a team of specialized physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers and counselors.”
One especially notable competition included in the event was the Turkey Station activity run by Sheriff Nelson and his family, where participants could play for steaks, bacon, hoop cheese and more. Winners of the day’s events were also announced.
Thompson Carriers earned first place in the team event with a combined score of 167; Tyler Slay claimed the raffle prize; Leland Johns took first place in the Top Youth category with a perfect score of 50; Zack Langley won Top Male Shooter category with a score of 47; and Kelsey Oliver Shoebrooks was the Top Female Shooter with a score of 42.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The total funds raised during this year’s event was not available at press time, however, the proceeds from just the live auction event totaled more than $80,000. We will update with a final total as soon as those numbers are made available to us.
