Youngsters at First United Methodist Church preschool will be Riding for Blessings on Saturday.

The school is hosting its annual Trik-a-Thon fundraising event, once again benefitting the Blessings in a Backpack ministry.

“We used to ride for St. Jude, but we decided to do support something local,” said Nicole Froelicher, director of the preschool program. “If you’re not familiar with Blessings in a Backpack, they do such good work.”

The ministry provides food items for hundreds of children in Brookhaven and Lincoln County each year.

And having the youngsters at the preschool support children is a natural fit.

Nearly 40 participants, ages infant to 5 years old, will take part in the Trik-a-Thon event, which begins at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“Some will ride, and some will be in wagons,” Froelicher said.

Each participant is sponsored, with a goal of $115 raised per “rider.”

After the Trik-a-Thon, the various church ministries are hosting games and activities for the participants and the community at large.

“We’ll have booths with games and activities, hamburgers, a cake sale, face painting and a cake walk for the children,” Froelicher said. “We invite anyone who wants to come out to join us. They can stand on the sidelines and cheer on our little children as they go by.”

Activities will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the church, 215 W. Cherokee St.

And anyone who cannot attend but would like to sponsor a child or make a donation towards the Blessings in a Backpack effort can contact the preschool at 601-990-2323.