Latest on attending Carter’s Sunday School, yard signs
As the world continues to adjust to Jimmy Carter’s cancer diagnosis, so does his little southwest Georgia hometown and his church.
With Carter again scheduled to teach Sunday School at Maranatha Baptist Church this weekend, Plains is preparing for another influx of visitors. Now, in addition to an updated plan for safely accomodating church visitors, there's a way for people around the world to purchase their own replica editions of the "Jimmy Carter for Cancer Survivor" yard signs that blanketed Plains when the former president returned home from his first radiation treatment in Atlanta.
Building on last week’s experience, when hundreds of people slept overnight in their cars in the church’s parking lot hoping to gain admission, Maranatha said on Wednesday that once again, attendance will be limited to 400 people for the Sept. 6th class.
This time, though, Maranatha will open its parking lot at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5th and begin issuing numbered seat assignments. All visitors who wish to attend President Carter’s class must obtain a seat assignment on site and in person — no one will be permitted to obtain a seat assignment for anyone who is not present. Visitors do not need to remain on the church property once they receive their seat assignments, although they must be back at Maranatha by 7 a.m. on Sunday when the doors open or risk forfeiting their seat.
(Before Carter’s Aug. 30th class, Maranatha had announced it would open its parking lot at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday and start passing out numbers to would-be attendees, who would then have to remain with their cars the entire time before being allowed into the 10 a.m. class. Yet many people jumped the gun and cars began lining the road leading to little church around 7 p.m. Marantha relented and opened its parking lot nearly three hours earlier than originally scheduled.)
As happened last week, visitors who arrive after Maranatha has reached its capacity will be given the option of watching a live stream broadcast of the class at the old Plains High School nearby. President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, will only pose for photos with those who are able to fit in the church to attend Sunday School.
For additional information and any updates, go to www.mbcplains.org.
But now anyone can have one of the yard signs, which were originally inspired by a cartoon created by Mike Luckovich, the AJC's Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist. Almost as soon as photos of the 500 yard signs that a group of Carter's friends arrayed around Plains on Aug. 20th began showing up in the media and on Facebook, people around the world began asking how they could get one of their own. With the former president's consent, the nonprofit group, Friends of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, hatched a plan to print up more and sell them for a good cause.
The signs are being sold for $30, which includes shipping and handling; a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Phoebe Cancer Crisis Fund, an organization in southwest Georgia that provides assistance to cancer patients in need. For more information, or to order signs, go to www.friendsofthejimmycarternationalhistoricsite.org and click on "Market." Signs are also available for purchase in person for $25 at the Plains Historic Inn, located on Main Street.
