PORT ROYAL — Juniata and Perry counties are coming together on Saturday to raise funds and collect supplies for local foster children in need.

Phil Myers, is a member of Alliance of Bikers Aimed Towards Education, and a member of Ridge Runners 58, organized this event, with the help of other ABATE members, in support of foster children and foster parents of Perry and Juniata County.

“Foster kids are the only ones who aren’t state or government funded. It can get really hard on the foster parents,” he explained, “If this goes right, the hope is that we will have extra supplies and we can donate those to other communities such as Snyder, Cumberland, and Mifflin counties.”

This event originated in Tioga County, then organized by friends, Garth and Penny Russell.

Myers, the organizer for Saturday’s event said the Russell’s fostered children, when they recognized the issue at hand, which is that foster children typically enter a home with only a bag of bare necessities. The goal of the fundraiser is to supply those young children with school supplies and other items children often come without.

The event has been held for six years in Tioga County and with the help of friends and family, has been very

successful each time.

Now, Myers hopes to continue the event in support of Perry and Juniata counties and eventually take it even further, stating, “I’m hoping to see this event spread over the whole state of Pennsylvania.”

The fundraiser event resembles a community picnic, he said.

It will be held from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Port Royal Lions Park, 2767 Lions Park Road.

Myers said pulled pork sandwiches will be provided. Along with the sandwiches, the Lions Park donated drinks for kids. The event will also feature DJ Kenny Kurrell with a backstage sound system, adding some music to the meal.

Attendees are asked to bring their favorite side dish to share, turning the event into a community meal. Along with dishes, attendees are also asked to bring a donation of a kids backpack or school supplies, there will also be a donation jar at the event.

All money donated at the event will be used to purchase other necessities for the foster children. Myers will then take all the donations of supplies to put together a backpack for each child. The event was organized to provide specifically for children ages one to 13, due to those ages typically having less items than a teenaged foster child.

For more information about the event or how donations can be made, call ABATE President Dan Buckley at (717) 275-6528 or call/text Myers at (717) 994-0344.