The queen of fund raising is a title that could well fit a resident of the McCool-Edgefield area of Attala County.
Mrs. Myrtle Black wears the title well with her record of collecting funds for St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis. A wall of plaques from St. Jude testifies to her success.
Flipping through a small notebook where she meticulously keeps her records, she runs her finger down to the figure of $83,152.91, the total collected since 1990.
“And I do my collecting right here,” she said pointing to a recliner with the telephone within reach.
“I begin in August making calls asking for donations and continue through September. Checks are mailed to me and at the end of September I mail a check to St. Jude,” Black said.
It is common knowledge in the community that she collects for St. Jude and many give donations before she makes a call. Upon receiving donations, St. Jude sends her T-shirts which she distributes.
“I have friends that help me with the deliveries,” she added.
She points with pride to a wall in the den lined with the many plaques St. Jude has awarded her. She said she has never visited the Memphis hospital, but has had many invitations from the well-known center devoted to the treatment of children.
In addition to her St. Jude project, she is well known throughout the area for the sale of her homemade peanut brittle. The extent of her involvement is noted by the purchase of peanuts in 50-pound amounts. Lining the cabinets in her kitchen are gallon containers of brittle. Some of the candy is made with peanuts and some with pecans. She said the candy is made from her mother’s recipe which originated in Georgia.
The lady’s energy seems to never dwindle. If not on the telephone asking for donations to St. Jude or making brittle, she might be seen dashing from her kitchen door to a building in the back yard where she conducts a continual rummage sale of clothing.
