Pair raising funds for backpack program

Hughes Springs school administrator Scott Hanes was out riding his bike with grandson Braxton Evans of Hooks, recently when the youngster came up with an idea.

“Can we have a bike ride to raise money for the Blessing in a Backpack program at Hughes Springs?” the soonto-be 7-year-old asked.

The pair had recently been on bike rides of 10 and 11 miles on the special tandem bike, which is pedaled by the grandfather with the grandson riding behind.

“So we thought, why don’t we have one for 19 miles to go along with the COVID-19? We can just have a bike-a-thon to raise money for a good cause and see what happens,” Hanes said he told his grandson.

“He and I are going to ride our bikes the 19 miles for the backpack program, which provides weekly supplies of food for students in need. We’ll challenge our Facebook friends to support our efforts. It’s a great program, and funds recently have dried up.”

The response to their challenge thus far has been great, the pair said. Their bike ride will take place 9 a.m. Friday at the Caddo Lake Wildlife Refuge in Karnak, Texas.

“Brax and I will be riding and doing live updates to keep everyone in the loop as to how the ride is going. Brax has never ridden this far, but says he can do it to help the kids in need … as long as we take a break every three to four miles.”

Supporters can easily donate at the PayPal address: paypal. me/Covid19MileBikeRide or mail a contribution to Hughes Springs ISD, Attn: Blessings in a Backpack, 871 Taylor, Hughes Springs, TX 75656.

Information can also be gained by a Google search for the Facebook page “COVID19 Bike Ride, Scott Hanes.”

Submitted photo ■ This is Braxton Evans, left, and his brother Emmett of Hooks who have stopped to gather flowers while on a bike ride. Braxton has suggested the idea of a fund-raising 19-mile bike ride he’ll go on with his grandfather Scott Hanes.