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Rice-a-Roadeo honors Rice-a-Roadies
By Cindy Baker
Sep 2, 2009
It was an evening of food, music, door prizes, and guitar pickin' as retired Rev. Sam Rice's "Rice-a-Roadies" were honored with a Rice-a-Roadeo on Friday evening, August 28, at Pine Grove Presbyterian Church, north of Clarksville. Sam's three-times-a-week trips from Clarksville to Paris for kidney dialysis were becoming a drudgery and he stated that he wanted to cease the treatments and "go to his Maker." But, his home church of Pine Grove launched a driving brigade to enhance his experience.
Forty-three volunteer drivers from six of the churches Sam has served as pastor are methodically scheduled, with no one driving more than once a month and nobody having to wait for the four-hour treatment to be completed. Drivers from Pine Grove, First Presbyterian, and New Shamrock churches in Clarksville, as well as First Presbyterian Church of Deport, First Presbyterian Church of Paris, and Main Street Presbyterian Church in Honey Grove make up the Rice-a-Roadies.
After a pork loin dinner, Cindy Baker led the group in a devotional. The crowd sang a unique version of "On the Road Again" as well as the traditional song, "I'll Fly Away." Lanny Joe Burnett saluted the Rice-a-Roadies with the song, "We Change the World." Road-friendly door prizes, all dealing with cars and automotive upkeep, were well received by the honorees. Bumper stickers that read "I'm a Sam Rice Rice-a-Roadie" were given to the drivers in attendance. The highlight of the evening featured Sam Rice on the guitar, playing and singing a medley of Eddie Arnold songs.
Pictured is Rice-a-Roadie Mary Snell of Main Street Presbyterian Church in Honey Grove giving Sam Rice a hug.
On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is seein' Clarksville with my friend
And I can't wait to get on the road again
On the road again
Goin' places only Sam has been
Seein' things that I will likely see again,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.