The Limestone Child Advocacy Center received a generous donation Monday from the owners of the Ardmore Quik Mart. Sally Edwards Darnell, co-owner of the Quik Mart, met with CAC Director Becky Bentley Monday in Ardmore to present her with just more than $2,000 raised during the store’s Cupcakes for Child Advocacy campaign Dec. 1-15, 2021.

2021 was the seventh year the Ardmore Quik Mart, and all 40 Quik Mart stores Edwards Darnell co-owns, sold paper cupcakes for each store’s local child advocacy center. The Ardmore location is their only location within Limestone County.

“We sell paper cupcakes for $1 or $5, and the ownership matches dollar for dollar every dollar raised. It’s then given to the specific community that the store raises for,” Edwards Darnell said.

This year, the owners donated $70,000 to the communities in which their stores serve. During the past seven years, they have donated approximately $400,000, and the owners have a set a goal in hopes of eventually donating $1 million. The staff of the Quik Marts are enthusiastic about raising money and awareness for child advocacy, and the owners give prizes to the location that raises the most money. This year, the winning store raised $3,000 and, with the owners’ match, was able to donate $6,000.

Edwards Darnell’s mother serves on the board of the Kid’s Place Center in Lawrence County, Tenn.

“She piqued our interest as to what child advocacy actually does. At the time, they were having to turn away around 80 kids a year because they didn’t have the staffing. They have been able to, just with our donations, add two forensic interviewers,” Edwards Darnell said.

Bentley and Edwards Darnell hope to plan a day in the near future when staff of the Ardmore Quik Mart can tour the LCAC and see firsthand how the money they have raised is put to use.

“This is very important. We are mostly grant funded, and grants are limited in what we can cover or pay for. These types of funds that are not assigned certain categories can help cover other expenses,” Bentley said.

“Community awareness is very important, and these types of events are great at creating community awareness.”

Limestone Child Advocacy Center helps children that have been abused.