• Thad Hicks

The Salvation Army to Support 50th Anniversary of Selma Alabama March

Jackson, MS (03/03/2015) – On March 7 and 8, 2015, an estimated 30,000 to 75,000 people will descend upon Selma, AL (pop. 19,900) for the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” which became a seminal event in the civil rights movement.  The Salvation Army will be present serving the first responders as well as those who came to commemorate the events of that fateful day in 1965.  

In late February, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency forwarded a request from the Selma Police Department for bottled water to serve the public safety personnel serving during the event.  The Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi Division of The Salvation Army responded to this call and delivered 20 pallets of water (about 36,000 bottles) to help serve both the public safety personnel and those attending the event. 

The Salvation Army has deployed multiple units to the area including an Emergency Canteen from Birmingham, AL, a Mobile Feeding Vehicle from Jackson, MS, and an EDS Command Vehicle.  These teams will provide a hydration station at the Command Post as well as mobile hydration for public safety personnel and the public.  The Salvation Army will also help provide hot liquids, food service equipment, supplies, and mass feeding expertise throughout the two day event.  Local Salvation Army administrator, Major Steve Welch advised, “My family as well as The Salvation Army is a part of this community, and we are honored to help with this 50th Jubilee.” 

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster survivors, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide.