“There’s no way to have a count that’s definite, that’s for certain, but I’d say we have brought in at least a couple thousand
here,” said Mike Roth, pastor of Linton’s Saron United Church, one of six participating churches in the interfaith event, which welcomed the Linton Assembly of God on Saturday. “We were just packed at 10 a.m.” In addition to the Assembly of God, whose pastor David Atkins received a key to the facility Saturday, other participating churches include St. Peter’s Catholic Church, the Saron United Church, the First Christian Church, the First United Methodist Church, and Trinity Lutheran Church. The parking lot north of St. Peter’s, 489 E St. NE, where the pantry is located, was turned into a festival for four hours, as free haircuts, school clothes, rides, games and food were offered to attendees. During Saturday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mitchell Mayfield, 13, stood in for Linton Mayor Tom Jones, who was attending a funeral. The teen’s not sure whether the event sparked his interest in politics, when questioned if he’ll run for office someday. “That seems like a pretty hard thing to do.” However, he suggested he’d like something for standing in.
“I should get my own golf cart,” Mayfield said, laughing. “I’ve always wanted a golf cart.”