The Rev. Charlie Barnard, with First Baptist Church of Tellico Village, and his wife, Teresa, will be speeding across the nation again in August as part of the Miles for Smiles fundraiser to support the dental program at the Good Samaritan Center of Loudon County.
The pair approached Karen Bowdle, executive director of Good Sam, last year with the idea to raise money for the center while taking their annual motorcycle ride across the nation. Prayer bracelets were handed out, and sponsors joined in for the penny-per-mile challenge. The goal was to raise $6,500, which would be a dollar per mile, and the group doubled that, raising $13,000.
“It’s the largest individual fundraiser that Good Sam has ever had, just without sending out post cards and things like that,” Bowdle said. “We were just delighted, thrilled.”
This year, the Barnards asked Bowdle what she would like to use the money for at the center. Bowdle said that since she walked through the center’s doors last April, the number one problem intake workers noticed was the dental program. Bowdle said Good Samaritan has always helped with dental necessities, but has never been able to afford to give the people what was actually needed.
Charlie came up with the idea to call the ride Miles for Smiles. The Barnards and Bowdle agreed that all of the components needed to make fundraising successful just fell into place.
“It’s almost like a perfect storm, all these things coming together for the dental program at Good Sam,” Charlie said.
The center recently received a Trinity Health Foundation phase one grant, and the funds will be used to enhance the dental program. In September, Bowdle said the center will apply for the phase two grant, and the Miles for Smiles fundraiser will prove to the foundation that the program is sustainable.
Bowdle and Good Samaritan employees have been hard at work this summer interviewing potential partners who also try to help community members with dental emergencies. Client interviews and surveys have been given to see what’s needed and what can be done to make the program functional so the center receives the larger grant in the fall.
“Only 17 were awarded,” Bowdle said. “Only those 17 can apply for phase two. One of the things that they are looking for, a big word in the grant world these days, is ‘sustainability.’ This (Miles for Smiles) ... what that’s doing is showing Trinity that if they give us this $150,000, we have some opportunities to sustain this effort through our own fundraising efforts.”
In order for Miles for Smiles to raise plenty of money, the group needed sponsors. This year, Charlie said they were surprised and ecstatic to have so many helpful corporate sponsors like Chick-fil-A, Alcoa Good Times, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Bart Howell representing Nationwide Insurance, Hart Graphics, Lakeside Reality in Tellico Village, Dr. Michael Bowman and Dr. Jason Bowman.
Chick-fil-A and Blue Bell both use cows as their company mascots, which is why the Barnards were supplied with a couple of stuffed cows to ride on the back of their motorcycle during the trip.
“It’ll be cows across America,” Bowdle laughed.
Charlie said last year, they placed a sign that said, “Across the USA for Good Sam,” on the back of the motorcycle, and people who noticed asked questions and often donated money to the cause. For the Barnards, the fundraiser is a way to not only enjoy a vacation but help people in need in Loudon.
Teresa said she is most excited to see Yosemite National Park in California and mark it off of their bucket list. The only two states (of the lower 48) that the Barnard’s motorcycle has yet to enter are California and North Dakota, two of their largest stops on the ride. Charlie’s most excited to stop at the church in the movie “Heaven Is For Real” and worship there one Sunday.
The two will depart Aug. 20 from First Baptist Church in Tellico Village and arrive back for a celebration dinner Sept. 10 at the church. Their progress in the journey can be followed at http://www.goodsamloudon county.org or on the Good Samaritan’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
“It’s always really neat, the different people we meet along the way,” Charlie said. “... You just meet people across the United States, and we have found good people all across the United States.”
