Philip D. Brown

Richmond County Daily Journal

Several Richmond County businesses are getting behind an effort started by Hamlet’s branch of the North Carolina-based Fidelity Bank to benefit the deployed troops of the Hamlet National Guard .

The bank is holding a raffle with proceeds going to the Hamlet National Guard Family Readiness Group, which supports the troops and will use the funds to send items from back home to Iraq.

“This is the bank’s 100th year in business, and we decided to choose a charity rather than have a celebration or something like that,” Hamlet Fidelity Bank Branch Manager Tina Graves said. “Our goal is to raise $1,000, so we have a lot of tickets to sell and need all the help we can get.”

The drawing will be held Dec. 23, and Graves explained the prizes have been donated by local businesses.

“Bobby’s Furniture donated a recliner, Mabry’s Drug Store has donated $100 cash and Vector Shirts has donated a Raider Jacket,” she said. “Tickets are $1 apiece, and six for $5.”

Hamlet National Guard Readiness N.C.O. and 1st Sgt. Brian Webb said “the overwhelming” support of the Richmond County community makes a difference to his fellow soldiers serving abroad.

“Absolutely,” he said. “This and all the response we’ve gotten - the mail, the packages - it’s just been overwhelming. Especially the packages that come in.”

He explained that during their last deployment, the unit was part of a larger unit where everything sent came through, but during this deployment they’ve had more of their own identity, which makes the gifts sent over even more special.

“We have a commons area right outside the barracks where we live,” Webb explained. “We put them all out, and it’s like Christmas every time they come in.”

He said many of the packages the troops receive consist of snacks, which are usually consumed “within a day or two,” and cards and letters from area youth.

“We post them all over the walls,” he continued. “All the stuff like that has just been tremendous. The guys really appreciate it, I don’t think you could ever express how much they do. Just the smallest of gestures really does make a difference.”

Hamlet National Guard Family Readiness Group co-leader Ronda Jones is the wife of Sgt. 1st Class Jason Jones, and they together have a two-year-old daughter named Rileigh.

She explained that not only do these gestures make a difference for the troops over there, but also for the families over here.

“We’ve been humbled over and over again by the support we’ve received from different organizations throughout Richmond County throughout this deployment,” Jones said. “It has really helped to ease the emotional difficulties throughout the deployment.”

She said the money will be used “to support the troops deployed with the Hamlet National Guard.

While all of these troops were deployed from Hamlet, Webb explained the ramifications of their deployment stretch much farther than Hamlet.

“We’ve got guys just about from Murphy to Manteo in the unit,” he said. “There are guys from the mountains, guys from the coast, and even some from South Carolina and as far away as Virginia.”

The recliner donated by Bobby’s Furniture and the jacket donated by Vector Shirts are on display at Fidelity Bank’s Hamlet location. The $100 cash prize from Mabry’s Drug and Home Care speaks for itself.

Tickets are available at Fidelity Bank’s Hamlet, Rockingham and Ellerbe locations, as well as at Bobby’s and Mabry’s in Hamlet, from members of the AmVets Post 316 and from members of the family readiness group.

Tickets will also be available at the Relay For Life “Fishing For A Cure” team’s booth this Saturday at Christmas on the Square at Harrington Square in downtown Rockingham.

Fidelity Bank came into being in the North Carolina town now known as Fuquay-Varina in 1909.

The independent banking chain currently serves 26 North Carolina counties and has three locations in Virginia. It was recently awarded a five-star (superior) rating from Bauer Financial.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.