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Boone Drug partners with Casting Bread to provide donation station for Travis’s Lunch Box

From left to right (Kelvin Gryder(Father), Sam Garrett (Casting Bread), Spencer Hodges (Boone Drug), Becca Gryder(Mother), Angie Gregg(Aunt) – Image by Ashely Poore

BOONE, N.C. – April 25, 2023 – Travis Gryder was “living the dream” being an Eagle Scout from Blowing Rock Troop 101, a firefighter/paramedic with Blowing Rock Fire Department, a volunteer member of Watauga Rescue, and one of the founding members of Watauga High School’s Athletes for Good. Travis cared for the wellbeing of others. As an example of Jesus’s love, he did what he could to see that those around him had food. If you went to school or church with Travis, he may have even brought you lunch or a Moon Pie while sharing his smile and the simple, kind words, “You gotta eat!”

From left to right (Angie Gregg, Becca Gryder, Kelvin Gryder) – Image by Ashley Poore

In 2015, the world tragically lost Travis in a motorcycle accident. Travis’s Lunchbox ongoing food drive was created to honor his giving spirit, his love for our community, and to celebrate his beaming smile. All food and monetary donations are used to feed the people who visit Casting Bread’s food pantry. 

Donation Station for Travis’s Lunch Box at Boone Drug Deerfield – Image by Ashley Poore

Beginning in 2023, Boone Drug partnered with Casting Bread to expand the Travis’s Lunchbox program. “Boone Drug is very excited to partner with Casting Bread in the Travis’ Lunchbox initiative by providing three drop off locations in Boone at King Street, Deerfield, and New Market pharmacies,” said Spencer Hodges, Boone Drug’s vice president. He continued, “It is a testament to the caring, giving, and compassionate person that Travis was to everyone he came into contact with.” 

Suggested donations include canned goods and other shelf-stable foods, such as meal kits, nut butters, and cereal. “Boone Drug has invested in our community for generations,” said Sam Garrett, Casting Bread’s executive director. “We are humbled to have Boone Drug as a partner and our hope is that when you visit them, you will bring a couple of food items or make a donation.”

Garrett reflected, “I never met Travis, but, by all accounts, he was a remarkable young man. The High Country has been honoring Travis in this way for years and it has allowed Casting Bread to feed our community.” 

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Casting Bread: www.increasefoodsecurity.org
Boone Drug: www.boonedrug.com