Channing Moss Fund gets boost

GAINESVILLE - One day after having the new athletic weight room at his alma mater, West Hall High School, named in his honored, Army Spec. Channing Moss was at the center of attention again Saturday morning.

He was surprised at Longstreet Cafe by a group of Gainesville business people and others who had raised $21,000 on his behalf.

Jack Waldrip says the idea was conceived about two weeks ago by a group of people who meet at Longstreet for breakfast every Saturday. Waldrip says they simply decided they wanted to do something for Moss to show appreciation for what he has been through.

Moss was gravely injured in combat in Afghanistan last year when a live rocket lodged in his torso. Army surgeons - in a delicate operation - were able to remove but Moss - who is up and about - still faces a long recovery.

Waldrip said the money was raised "mostly by world-of-mouth" as members of his breakfast club spoke to friends about what they were doing. Waldrip says those friends would mention it to their friends and "it just snowballed from there." He says there were "several significant (in size) donations" and that money is still coming in.

Hall County Board of Education Chairman Richard Higgins was among those joining Waldrip Saturday morning with Moss. (See photo).

Moss shrugged off the attention focused on him when asked what was done Saturday says about the community and what he is going through.

"It doesn't say what the community says about me, it says what the community says about every soldier serving in the United States military," Moss said. "It says the community really cares about every soldier over there."

Nevertheless, Moss said he's been "overwhelmed, surprised (with) a lot of emotions" at the outpouring of support from Gainesville and Hall County. On Memorial Day, he was given the Hall County Sheriff's Office Medal of Valor and in September, his story was featured on ABC-TV's "20/20."

After breakfast at Longstreet Saturday morning, Waldrip took Moss to Athens to attend the Georgia -Troy football game.