Shelby’s 177th Brigade conducts annual food march for Edwards Street Pantry

LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Hundreds of soldiers from Camp Shelby took an early morning run Tuesday to help out a local food pantry for the holiday season.

More than 300 members of the Army’s 177th Armored Brigade participated in the seventh annual 10K ruck march to benefit the food pantry at the Edwards Street Fellowship Center.

“We feel pretty good, it’s a great opportunity to come out and support a community that supports us and gives us so much to us,” said Col. Reginald E. Williams, Jr., commander of the 177th Armored Brigade.

The soldiers left Jackson Road Station on the Longleaf Trace with backpacks full of non-perishable foods and made their way west to the Clyde Depot Station, where they dropped off their donations to food pantry staff.

They then marched their way back to Jackson Road with much lighter loads.

“Whatever the soldiers felt like bringing is what load they carried,” Williams said. “As you can tell by the turnout, it’s pretty a significant load, which means it will be significantly lighter going back.”

About two dozen members of the Army ROTC battalion from the University of Southern Mississippi also participated in the march.

McCullen says 1,483 pounds of food was donated during the event.

“This is huge, to know we’re going to have the shelves stocked,” said Ann McCullen, executive director of the Edwards Street Fellowship Center.

“People will be able to have a really good Thanksgiving, Christmas. They will be able to enjoy something that’s so important to all of us, which is a good meal with family and with people we love.”

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