At 3 on the 3rd : Public sought for School Prayer Walk for children’s safety

Earlier this month it was announced that two more school age children in South Carolina had passed away from COVID- 19, and now several Laurens groups are inviting the public for a School Prayer Walk to pray for safety for the county’s children.

The walk is planned for 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Oct. 3, at Laurens District High School’s K.C. Hanna football stadium, and anyone is welcome to come and collectively pray for the county’s children.

“People can walk or if they want they can sit in the stands – however they are comfortable. But we are gathering at the football field of the high school to pray for our schools and the protection of our children,” said Elma Morrison, a member of the Sanders Alumni Association, which is one of the sponsors of the Prayer Walk. “Our plan is to walk around the football field seven times, praying for a break- through for our schools.”

Morrison said there was a suggestion that the prayer vigil be held at the park, but when the school district agreed to let planners use the stadium, that was preferred.

“We felt we needed to be right where the students are,” Morrison said.

Morrison said plans for the prayer walk came about because of the COVID-19 virus and the Delta variant’s impact on the schools so early in the new school year. Within the first month of school large numbers of children in District 55 and 56 were in quarantine at home, and District 55 schools Gray Court- Owings, Hickory Tavern and LDHS were all closed for a full week.

“This Delta variant is much more dangerous for children, and they are too young to get the vaccine,” Morrison said, explaining it’s time to come together and call on God’s intervention and protection for the young people.

“Jesus says, ‘If two or three on earth agree about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven,’ and this is what we need to do for the children and teachers of Laurens County.”

The program is open to the public from across Laurens County. In addition to Sanders Alumni Association, it is also sponsored by Tumbling Shoals Baptist Association, Rev. Anthony Sims and Laurens County NAACP.

The stadium is located behind LDHS, 5058 Hwy. 76, Laurens.

First published in the Wednesday, Sept. 22 issue of The Laurens County Advertiser.