Marathon Ministry News for March 2007 (archived)

March 27

- GOLF TOURNAMENT SOON – Marathon’s First Annual Golf Tournament is coming up very soon on April 21, which is also Rev. Cooper’s 75th birthday. The tournament will be at Clear Creek Golf Club in Bristol, VA. All proceeds go to feed the hungry and help the poor in the Appalachia coalfields. The tournament goal is 75,000 pounds of food – 1,000 pounds for each year of Rev. Cooper’s life. Individual player fee is $75, and players are also encouraged to submit 4-man teams. Hole and tee sponsorships are $100 each, and a flight sponsorship is $500. You can even dedicate a hole or tee as a memorial or honor for $100. A sign commemorating the sponsorship, memorial or honor will be placed at each hole or tee. You can also dedicate a memorial or honor gift in the Tournament program brochure for $50. There will be prizes and one hole-in-one car – a 2007 PT Cruiser. If you interested in playing or helping us with a sponsorship, memorial or honor, CONTACT US. You can call 276-762-2378 for more information. You can download and print the tournament announcement HERE.

- APOLOGIES – If you are a regular visitor to the site, our apologies for not posting news updates more often. March has been a very busy month for us, as you can see from our activities in the most recent news update. We also have some great pictures of recent events to post and will do so as soon as possible. Please keep checking back for updates in the near future.

- NOTES FROM CLINCHCO ELEMENTARY – We have received two loving notes as a result of our distribution for the students at Clinchco Elementary School in the coalfields.

The first note came in the mail as a handmade card with a big flower drawn on the inside. The front read, “Thank You!” in big letters, and the inside read, “A big thanks for the gifts. From Mr. Potter’s class, Clinchco Elem School. 3/14/07.”

The second note came by email and read: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the donations you made to the Clinchco Elem. School. My son was tickled to death. I asked him where did he get these things from and he said that God had sent them and that really touched his heart and mine. Keep up the good work as servants for OUR LORD. May God bless you and keep each and everyone who has donated and helped in any way. Thank you.”

- WISE COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL DISTRIBUTION – We held a distribution for the students at Wise County Christian on March 23. Every student received brand-new a notebook binder, a pack of chocolate wafer cookies, two snack-size cans of Pringles chips, toothbrush, toothpaste, and Christian children’s literature. Every student also received a brand-new blanket. We did not realize that the mascot for Wise Christian is the Eagles before we arrived, but the blankets we distributed feature the NFL Eagles football team. The kids absolutely loved them. We also distributed VBS Student Packs (including lessons, crafts, etc.) for the students, as were grade appropriate, and Country Mission Packets for the upper-level grades that featured facts about different countries around the world and Christian mission work in those countries.

- CHURCH COOPERATIVE PARTNERSHIP IN MARCH – Lebanon Memorial United Methodist Church in Lebanon, VA recently partnered with us at our Castlewood facility in the month of March. Over thirty church members volunteered to pickup food from the food bank, pack food boxes, and distribute food on the 2nd Thursday and 3rd Saturday. Besides over 150 man-hours donated, Lebanon Memorial also donated funds to cover half the cost for March food distribution. You find out more about Lebanon Memorial on their website, www.lmumchurch.com. This partnership is a mighty blessing for the ministry. If your church is interested in helping Marathon Ministry in this way, please CONTACT US.

- TRUCK LETTERING – Our brand-new-to-us truck that God provided in February is looking good. Recently, Castlewood Signs in Castlewood, VA has worked on the lettering and signage on the truck, donating the work at cost. The sides of the truck feature our cross logo, Marathon’s name and website, and a Bible featuring our theme Scripture, Matt. 25: 35-40. The back door features Marathon’s name and contact information. There is only a minor amount of work still to be done and pictures will be posted after its completion. If you just can’t wait for the pictures, you can usually catch a good look of the truck in the middle of the Milton Shopping Center parking lot. If you need quality sign work at reasonable prices, we highly recommend Castlewood Signs, 276-762-9510.

- FEBRUARY DISTRIBUTION NUMBERS - In February, we served 110 families consisting of 207 adults and 103 children with food, blankets, and most importantly – the Word of God. Please pray that God continues to send us those in physical and spiritual need and that we will continually be able to meet those needs.