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Pastor requests Saint Jude fundraiser; council allows drive‑by collection after discussing roadblock ban
Summary
Pastor James Kirk Cook asked the Okolona council for permission to hold roadblock-style collections for a Saint Jude fundraiser; the council noted a 2009 ban on roadblocks and agreed a drive‑by collection with police coordination would be acceptable for the upcoming event.
Okolona — Pastor James Kirk Cook of Lifeline asked the Okolona mayor and city council on Nov. 4 for permission to hold roadblocks and a fundraiser for Saint Jude, saying the group’s target for the upcoming event is $2,500 and that prior activities had raised roughly $121,300.
Cook told the council he had not realized the city’s roadblock policy would prevent the traditional fundraising method and asked whether the city could grant a waiver. The presiding official noted a city policy banning roadblocks since 2009 and said reopening roadblocks could raise questions about preferential treatment for groups and enforcement.
Councilmembers discussed alternatives and suggested a designated drive‑by collection route or a location where vehicles could safely pull off the roadway. Cook said the event is planned for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and indicated volunteers and local police would assist.
“We lost this young man, a beautiful, brilliant kid to leukemia... Our target is $2,500,” Pastor James Kirk Cook said while outlining the fundraiser and asking for the council’s support.
The council agreed the organizer could proceed with a drive‑by collection or designated area for donations, coordinated with local police, rather than permitting street-stopping roadblocks. The presiding official advised organizers to work with police on routing and safety.
Why it matters: The decision balances public-safety and traffic-control concerns with community fundraising needs; allowing a drive‑by collection enables the charity event while maintaining the city’s long-standing prohibition on roadblocks.
What’s next: Organizers will coordinate details with the police department and proceed with the drive‑by collection this Saturday, subject to routing and safety arrangements.
