Hi, my name is Cammie Smith. Tina Beale and I are raising money for Karen Noel. If you live in the Northern Neck and have ever visited the McDonald's on N. Main Street you will recognize Karen. She is the big smile that greets you at the second drive-thru window when she hands you your food. Rain or shine I have never seen Karen without a smile and a kind word.

Last year I remarked to Karen that she was always working and she replied that since her boyfriend had passed and her son no longer lived in the area she had nothing else to do but work. And her co-workers at McDonald's were her family. This past Fall Karen hurt her back but she still came to work and had a smile on her face, even when she was in excruciating pain. Luckily she was able to get a doctor's appointment and get a shot that currently has her feeling better.

All of this brings me to Karen's need for a car. Every time I go through the drive-thru I ask Karen how she is and several weeks ago she told me that her car had broken down and could not be fixed. She said she was car shopping and if I saw something to please let her know. And in Karen style she said it all with a smile on her face. Since then I have asked her several times if she has had any luck finding a car and the answer is always no. Everything she finds is out of her budget so that brings us here. I have seen people successfully raise money for deserving people so I thought "why not Karen"? We are hoping we can raise enough money for Karen to buy a reliable car so she can continue to serve us with a smile and a kind word at the Kilmarnock McDonald's second drive-thru window. I can't think of anyone more deserving of a break!