Fri Jul 30 2010
Randy Smith was in Iraq last Thanksgiving.
Thursday morning he was content to be back in downtown Frankfort participating in the 14th annual Walk of Awareness with his son, Mason, a seventh grader at Bondurant Middle School, and 150 others.
The event is a major fundraiser for the ACCESS Soup Kitchen and Men’s Shelter, of which Randy is board president.
Board Treasurer Duane Ellis said, “We had a big crowd this year but our donations were down. “We collected $5,400, about $2,400 short of last year’s total.”
A field artillery captain in the Army National Guard, Randy returned home in September after being in Iraq nine months.
He said he was thankful Thursday “just to be down here doing this walk again in more of a tranquil type of environment. In a sense I’m just glad all my body parts are together and I’m alive. I have a lot to be thankful for.”
In Iraq, he said, “you’re always on guard and it’s difficult to relax. Now I’m trying to transition back into civilian life,” which hasn’t been easy.
Randy’s a budget analyst for the state Legislative Research Commission.
After leaving the shelter following the walk, Randy said he was looking forward to going home and being with Duchess, his new dog, a rescued border collie-Australian shepherd.
Claudette Collins, director of the Young People’s Division of St. John AME Church, brought 12 youngsters and five adults with her to the 2-mile walk.
“This is an awesome event every year and I’m glad we’ve become a part of it,” said Collins, a project manager assistant for Messer Construction Co. “It’s for a worthy cause and just the idea of helping others is something our young people enjoy doing.
“What a great way to start out our Thanksgiving morning, to get together and walk.”
She said the youth group used to go to the men’s shelter every Saturday to help out, and they wanted to contribute to the Thanksgiving fundraiser.
Collins said she was thankful for friends and family, “especially for family members who are getting up in age and may not be around” many more Thanksgivings.
Downtown residents Scot and Marnie Walters did the walk for the first time along with their daughter Margi, 5, and little cairn terrier dog, Sally, 1, in a red and white sweater.
“We just wanted to do something special with Margi this year, and show her how to give back to the community,” said Marnie, walking down Capital Avenue.
Marnie is homeplace manager at Woodford Reserve Distillery and Scot works for the Kentucky Heritage Council.
Scot said he enjoyed it because “it’s good exercise, it’s downtown and we try to do everything downtown.”
After the walk, participants were invited to visit the shelter for a breakfast of ham and sausage biscuits and juice and coffee.
At the soup kitchen, Shirley Bradley, assistant director in charge of food services, said she was thankful for many things, such as Franklin County Schools donating 3,200 cans of food this week and the Kentucky National Guard delivering a truckload of food Tuesday.
“That was a blessing,” she said. “I’m thankful every day for God allowing me to live another day, and to see, walk and talk. What more could a person ask for?
Life is good and I don’t take it for granted.”
Shirley said she’s worked at the shelter 18 years and loves it.
She said nine men stayed at the shelter Wednesday evening. The numbers have started picking up the last couple of months, “and that’s telling me the economy’s getting really bad.”
In the kitchen volunteers were preparing a Thanksgiving lunch of turkey, ham, dressing, potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and rolls. Desserts would include pecan, pumpkin and apple pies and a variety of cakes.
“We’re cooking for about 65,” Shirley said. “I’m hoping and praying most everybody today is with family. If we don’t have very many that tells me they are with family and that makes me feel better.”
The walkers gathered at the Church of the Ascension to start the event.
Li Griffin, a South Frankfort resident, said she decided to participate after seeing an article about the walk in The State Journal.
She’s interim director of the Simon House, “and I’m thankful for the opportunity I have in this new position to help other people.”
Li said she worked as a registered nurse about 20 years, and then was employed by accounting and legal firms.
State Rep. Derrick Graham was the official starter of the walk. Several other local officials participated including Mayor Gippy Graham and City Commissioner Kathy Carter, Circuit Judges Phillip Shepherd and Reed Rhorer, District Judge Chris Olds, Commonwealth’s Attorney Larry Cleveland and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dana Todd.
Before starting, the walkers sang “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful” in the church fellowship hall.
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