By Sarah Mahan

The Selma Times-Journal

Associates of the local Walmart are teaming up Saturday to help a cause they said was near and dear to their hearts.

In an effort to reach their $5,000 June fundraising goal, Walmart associates are coming together to host a cookout to benefit Children’s of Alabama, a pediatric hospital in Birmingham, Saturday, June 15 beginning a 8 a.m.

Adrian Moppins, a 27-year employee of Wal-Mart and one of the event’s coordinators, said the fundraising team for the children’s hospital is hoping to meet their $5,000 donation goal within the next two weeks.

“We are hoping that at Saturday’s cookout the community will turnout to help us meet our goal,” Moppins said. “We have hosted one other cookout and sold T-shirts to help raise money, and hopefully we can reach [the goal] on Saturday.”

The fundraising meals will be served from a Pepsi wagon in front of Walmart throughout the day.

“We will be serving dinners that contain two vegetables, a meat and a dessert. There will be barbecue ribs, chicken, [homemade] peach cobbler, cake and probably iced tea,” Moppins said. “Prices range from $5 to $8.50 for the dinners.”

She also said this is a great way for the community to give back to an organization that helps community children.

“A lot of people have had their children — and a lot of my coworkers have had their grandchildren — taken to the children’s hospital. This is just a way we at Walmart give back to a place that has helped [the community],” Moppins said.

For more information about the cookout or to donate to the Children’s of Alabama contact Moppins at 412-7231.