CLOVER, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) A Clover High school group is spreading the town’s sense of community across the country. Moped to Memphis is a group that started several years ago that focuses on fundraising for St. Jude’s children’s hospital in Memphis Tennessee.
The group set an ambitious goal of raising $1 million for the hospital and now that goal has almost been reached.
Moped to Memphis started as an annual class project and has grown into a larger community cause.
“If we raise $6220 I’ll ride the donation to Saint Jude that’s $10 a mile on back roads 622 miles,” says Frank Falls, Clover High School Teacher and Moped to Memphis Supervisor.
This Clover high school class raised money for St. Jude’s hospital and the cause grew.
“When we came back from the trip on our first trip they are the ones that went said we need to make a ridiculous score and so we made a goal of $1 million,” says Falls.
Starting here at Clover high school this will be moped to Memphis is 12 year writing more than 20 hours at the Saint Jude Hospital. Frank Falls says this year alone the greatest raise more than $90,000. He says he is very confident that they will make their goal.
“We’re about 75,000 away from 1 million but we’re not too worried about that because it’s not an ending point will just keep on going,” says Falls.
The Wilson family couldn’t be more grateful for the cause. Their 15-month-old son, Ellis, was diagnosed with Choroid Plexus. The family dropped everything to come to St. Jude from Rogersville, Tennessee. Added struggles from the pandemic meant financial strain for the family. Moped to Memphis was able to help by contributing more than $12,000 and more importantly support.
“Once you get here, if you walk the halls and see these children in here and you feel sorry for people at one point and I worry for them but at the same time every kid in here is always got a smile on their face, it’s almost magical its one of those things you can explain,” says Ellis’s dad, Bradley Wilson. “And then to see people like the high school kids and these employment place is coming together on some thing that is so much bigger than themselves, they don’t realize how much they’re doing for these families.”
“It means a lot to get to know the families and have like a piece a story and it really puts a purpose and gives us a drive to keep doing what we do,” says Falls.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with the group about how the cause got started – and where it’s going.
