500 and counting

Spend more than 15 hours a day, 40 feet up in the air under the Bradenton sun when the heat index hits a sizzling 100 and it will wear on you.

The cool of the evening must be relief.

You could tell that Charles Young was feeling the effects of his time in a bucket truck this afternoon, as he reached the halfway mark in his efforts to collect 1,000 backpacks for disadvantaged school children.

But he was encouraged that some 500 backpacks have been donated.

His brother-in-law, Jordan Becnel, stopped by and said, "You look like you still have life in you."

Young plans to stay in his bucket truck at the Creekwood Chick-fil-A 6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. through Friday to get the remaining 500 backpacks he needs.

Bayside Community Church will distribute the backpacks to kids from Oakridge Apartments, and to Oneco Elementary School and Pace Center for Girls.

For more on this and other efforts to help local families get their children ready for school, see Thursday's Bradenton Herald.

Jim

Charles Young accepted two more backpacks Wednesday as he hit the halfway mark of his goal.