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More than 1,000 truckers were thanked for their commitment to keeping America moving with a hand-up sack lunch.

For the past two weekends,  signs were posted along the busy 231 Highway in Brundidge that read: Truckers Eat Free.

The idea to invite drivers of “big rigs” to make a pit stop and be thanked personally for their commitment to “keep on trucking” during the COVID-19 pandemic, belonged to Ken Breon and his brother Mike of the Banks community.

“If it were not for the semis on the road day and night, the doors to our grocery stories, pharmacies, hardwares and other essential business could not be open,” Ken Breon said. “Truckers deserve to be thanked.”

For the past two weekends, the Breon brothers and their wives, Joyce and Lisa, have handed up a thank you grab-bag that contained a barbecue sandwich, chips and bottled water. But, as appreciated as the sack lunch was, the thank you was more important.

“One trucker after another said that was the first time they had been personally thanked for what they do,” Ken Breon said. “Many of them said they have been trucking for up to 50 years and ‘never before’ has anybody said, ‘thank you.’ We were glad to do something for these men and women who deliver the goods for all of us.”

Breon said, over the four days of the “handout sack lunches,” many motorists stopped to say thank you for thanking the truckers.

“And, they gave us donations that helped make it possible to thank 1,000 truckers,” he said. “This would not have been possible if it had not been for the generosity of Hook’s Barbecue that sold us the barbecue at cost and also took donations, Lowe’s for chips and water, Golden Flake also donated chips and Horn Beverage also donated water. And, all those along the way that donated dollars that enabled us to say ‘thank you’ to truckers an extra weekend.”

Breon said the Brundidge Police Department was more than willing to help with traffic control and would also lend a helping hand when needed.

“Having the Brundidge PD on site let truckers know ‘Truckers Eat Free’ was on the up and up,” he said. “We thank everyone for making it possible to thank a group of workers who really deserve a hand-up and a sincere thank you.”