Special to Gulf Coast Newspapers

ROBERTSDALE - The Baldwin County Council on Aging and Baldwin Rural Area Transportation System (BRATS) has joined with Baldwin County municipalities to conduct the “Fill the BRATS Bus Challenge” for Baldwin County’s Senior Citizens. The Challenge will kick-off March 1 and citizens have until the end of March to help their municipality win the challenge.

The challenge was created to collect basic necessities for the Baldwin County Council on Aging to distribute to Baldwin County Senior Citizens. Due to increased medication costs and daily living expenses, the Baldwin County Council on Aging has had a large increase of Baldwin County’s Senior Citizens needing basic food items and/or personal hygiene products that they are no longer able to purchase themselves.

All Baldwin County citizens and businesses are encouraged to collect non-perishable items and drop the donations off at their municipalities’ drop-off  locations. All donations must be delivered to the drop-off locations before collection day, March 31. The winning municipality will be recognized after the March 31 collection for their efforts. Participating municipalities and drop-off locations are as follows:

Bay Minette, City Hall

Daphne, City Hall, Library, Recreation Center

Fairhope, Nix Center, City Hall, Recreation Center

Foley, City Hall

Loxley, Town Hall

Magnolia Springs,                              Town Hall

Orange Beach,                                     Senior Center, City Hall, Recreation Center

Perdido Beach, Town Hall

Robertsdale, City Hall

Spanish Fort, City Hall

Summerdale, Community Center

Donation item examples include, but are not limited to non-perishable foods: can soup, tuna, oatmeal, instant meals;  Personal hygiene items: toothpaste, denture supplies, toilet paper, soap, deodorant, shampoo, adult diapers, lotion; Miscellaneous items: gift cards or monetary donations (the Council on Aging will use any monetary/gift card donations to purchase basic necessities for needy senior citizens).

For more information about the “Fill the BRATS Bus Challenge” for Baldwin County Senior Citizens contact the Baldwin County Council on Aging at (251) 972-8506 or visit www.co.baldwin.al.us.