Gwinnett Daily Post

Bike ride honors fallen special ops soldier

DULUTH - A team of cyclists riding from Little Creek, Va., to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., in honor of a fallen member of the U.S. Navy Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) forces will finish its ride Friday.

Last year, the Duluth Police Department sponsored the first Honor Ride, with two Duluth police officers and four Special Operations soldiers making the 860-mile journey. This year, the 1,150-mile ride was moved to September to coincide with Patriot Day, which is today.

Duluth Police Lt. Bill Stevens said this year's ride is in honor of Lt. Michael Murphy, who was killed during a reconnaissance mission in Afghanistan in 2005.

Soldiers thank Girl Scouts for boxes of cookies

LAWRENCEVILLE - Girl Scout Troop 1687 collected 140 boxes of Girl Scout cookies for troops stationed overseas.

During cookie sales in January, the troop asked people to donate cookies to the troops. The grandparents of one of the girls paid to have the cookies shipped to their grandson's unit in Afghanistan.

The troop received a flag flown over Afghanistan and a letter of thanks from the soldier the cookies were shipped to.

Nonprofit plans fundraiser

LAWRENCEVILLE - Driving Magic, a nonprofit organization that provides therapeutic and recreational equine-assisted activities for children and adults with developmental or physical disabilities, will host its fifth annual barbecue fund-raiser from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Magnolia Hall.

There will be live entertainment, a silent auction, carnival games for children and a 50/50 duck derby along with food and fun for the whole family.

To make reservations or to find out more about the event and the program, call 404-358-4129 or go to www.drivingmagicinc.org.

Gwinnett Gab appears in the Thursday and Sunday editions of the Gwinnett Daily Post. To submit an item to Gwinnett Gab, e-mail gab@gwinnettdailypost.com.