Vicksburg's Jammin' For The Kids receive a $3,500 donation from Spirit Riders - The Vicksburg Post

Vicksburg’s Jammin’ For The Kids receive a $3,500 donation from Spirit Riders

Published 8:00 am Saturday, December 4, 2021

: Jammin' For The Kids event organizer Kemper Ehrhardt accepts a $3,500 check from the Spirit Riders, Friday. Pictured are, from left, Jammin' For the Kids volunteer Jenni Piazza Owen, Spirit Rider Harry Evans, Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace, Spirit Rider Billy Earl, Ehrhardt, Spirit Rider Billy Tucker and Spirit Rider Kevin Burnside. (Photo by Terri Cowart Frazier | The Vicksburg Post)

The Spirit Riders are a group of Christian motorcyclists who have a mission.

Their goal is to help children in need who reside in the Central Mississippi area. On Friday, members of the group drove to Vicksburg to donate $3,500 to the Jammin’ For The Kids fundraiser.

“They (Spirit Riders) are our largest donors,” Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said, of the motorcycle group.

For the past five years, a portion of the proceeds from the Spirit Riders’ annual fundraising event has been donated to Jammin’ For The Kids.

“We do a big benefit in June,” Spirit Rider member Billy Earl said. “We do a motorcycle ride, a live auction, a silent auction and a raffle. We raffle off a car every year.”

Proceeds from the auction are usually given to a child battling cancer. And this year, Earl said the group had been blessed and was able to donate $78,000 to a family for their child.

In addition to funds going toward children suffering from cancer, and supporting Jammin’ For The Kids, the group also donates money to the Baptist Children’s Village and the Rankin County Youth Court.

Earl said their decision to support Jammin’ For The Kids was because they liked the fundraiser’s mission.

Jammin’ For The Kids is a fundraiser, which benefits children whose parents are incarcerated and would otherwise not receive Christmas gifts. The fundraiser and event was initiated by local musicians more than 20 years ago and has remained successful.

The toys bought with funds or donated are distributed to the children with the help of Beyond Walls Ministries and the Warren County Chaplain’s office.

Due to COVID-19, this will mark the second year Jammin’ For The Kids will not be held in-person. However, funds and gifts can still be donated.

Collection boxes for toys have been placed at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office across the street from the Warren County Courthouse; at the entrance of River City Rescue on Washington Street; at Toney’s Grill and Seafood Market on U.S. 61 North and inside The Biscuit Company Restaurant at Grove and Washington Streets.

To donate financially, checks can be made out to “Beyond Walls Ministries,” and mailed to or dropped off at River City Rescue, 3625 Washington St. Vicksburg, MS 39180.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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