There were countless cheers and tears when the Feed the Children truck rolled into town on Saturday, November 12. The day was brightened for a few hundred families who received boxes of food and toiletries and a toy for their children to enjoy. It was a touching, heartwarming day for everyone involved. Adults drove away happy and relieved because they wouldn’t have to worry about not having food on the table for a few days and children rode away happy because they had a new toy in their hands. Volunteers were humbled and touched by the joyous recipients’ reactions.

Contributed by G1 Phtography

The day began when the Feed the Children truck arrived in the Wal-Mart parking lot around 9:30 am. STAR Touring and Riding members on their motorcycles and a few people in cars and trucks were on hand to escort the big rig to the distribution site at the “bottom of the hill” entrance to Bread -N- Bowl. The parade of vehicles began

Contributed by Valerie O’Neal

shortly after 10:00 and arrived at the site by 10:30 to the cheers of the waiting volunteers. The first voucher recipients began arriving around 11:30 and a steady stream of people continued until nearly 3:00 pm.

The STAR Touring and Riding members of Atlanta Chapter 111 sponsored the Feed the Children truck and partnered with Bread -N- Bowl to distribute 400 vouchers provided by FTC to needy families in the Gilmer County area. Local volunteers and STAR members from Lawrenceville and Cartersville, Chapters 421 and 376 respectively, were on hand to help distribute the boxes to the families who received the vouchers.

The Chapter 111 members decided to distribute the food on this day because of the approaching holidays. The chapter chose the North Georgia area for distribution because it had taken a major hit in the economical crisis and also because Gilmer County had a qualified and willing organization that could review and qualify families for the vouchers.

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Feed the Children reviews and approves the organizations that are chosen to review and qualify the families for the vouchers. Families are reviewed and approved by the chosen organization based on need. The Bread -N- Bowl was both qualified and willing to undertake the task.

Feed the Children is the official charity of STAR Touring and Riding. The Chapter 111 members raised the needed 7200.00 to sponsor the truck over the past year and a half through various fundraising events. This was the second truck that STAR Touring and Riding has sponsored. The first event was held in Norcross in April 2010. STAR Touring and Riding is a group of motorcycle riders who own Yamaha STARs.