Event raised money for Operation Christmas Child

SOUTH POINT–– Cars and motorcycles lined the parking lot of the Tri-State Worship Center Saturday during the third annual cruise-in car and motorcycle show.

The event is a fundraiser for the church’s Operation Christmas Child program, which gives underprivileged children in other countries gifts for Christmas. “We’ve been doing Operation Christmas Child for eight years, but this is the third year that we’ve had the cruise-in,” Vickie Edwards, Operation Christmas Child coordinator and organizer of the cruise-in, said. “We do this off of donations, but the cruise-in is another way to make money for the program.”

The cruise-in not only featured a car and motorcycle show, but a bean dinner, 50/50 raffle, hot dogs, refreshments, a craft show and inflatables for the children as well, while 50s and 60s tunes were played.

Edwards said she enjoys making children who don’t have anything happy at Christmas time.

“When you think of a child who doesn’t have anything; no shoes, no socks, nothing to eat out of, nothing to wash with, that touches your heart,” she said. “God has blessed us so much to try to raise funds for these children.”

Operation Christmas Child gives shoeboxes filled with various gifts, including toiletries, small toys, paper, pens, clothing, stuffed animals and more to children at Christmas time.

Other churches also collect shoeboxes, which are then brought to the Tri-State Worship Center, where they are prepared to ship.

“It’s about doing God’s work and helping all the children,” Edwards said. “God loves all children of the world.”