THUMBS UP to Wilson Chick-fil-A owner Christy Proctor for organizing Thursday’s annual Bucks for Backpacks drive, which will provide new backpacks and school supplies to hundreds of Wilson County students in need.

Chick-fil-A restaurants on Forest Hills Road and Raleigh Road Parkway will donate 10% of all proceeds to Wilson County Schools for backpacks and school supplies, as Times business reporter Brie Handgraaf details in this week's installment of her Main Street Minute column. School system employees will purchase the supplies and distribute them to students who would otherwise go without.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, donors would buy the backpacks and school tools and drop them off at Chick-fil-A. Switching to a cash campaign stretches each dollar further, as the school district can take advantage of quantity discounts by buying the goods in bulk.

“I’ve been getting excited for weeks thinking about how many people will come out and help support our kids,” said Proctor, who started Bucks for Backpacks as a way to give back to the Wilson community on her birthday.

The donation drive — and Proctor’s other philanthropic efforts — have earned the Chick-fil-A owner recognition. She’s received the Wilson Education Partnership’s Jim and Carolyn Hunt Friend of Education Award, Barton College’s Wilson-Barton Partnership Leadership Award and the Wilson Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award. Those honors are well-earned, but Proctor derives the most satisfaction from knowing her fundraiser will make a major difference in children’s lives.

We commend Christy Proctor for her commitment to helping all Wilson students begin the school year with the tools they need to become successful learners, and we encourage everyone to pitch in by making a cash donation or dining at one of Wilson’s Chick-fil-A locations on Thursday.

THUMBS DOWN to militant activists threatening to attack pro-life crisis pregnancy centers throughout the United States if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

A ruling is expected this month in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a lawsuit challenging Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks. A leaked draft of a majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito indicates the court will strike down Roe, decided in 1973, and its 1992 companion case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which establish a constitutional right to abortion. While the decision may differ from Alito’s draft, abortion rights supporters expect a defeat.

The extremist group Jane’s Revenge, which has claimed responsibility for vandalism at several pro-life pregnancy centers, has called for a “Night of Rage” consisting of coordinated attacks on the facilities after nightfall the day Roe is overturned, according to Dr. Susan Bane, medical director of the Choices Women’s Center in Wilson.

RELATED COMMENTARY: Don't let abortion debate devolve into violence

We recognize that abortion is a deeply divisive social issue and many people will be upset if Roe becomes a dead letter. While all citizens have the right to protest, there’s no excuse for violence or vandalism. Crisis pregnancy centers provide free and confidential services to women who voluntarily seek them. No one who tries to interfere with women’s choice to pursue abortion alternatives can honestly claim to be pro-choice.

The so-called Night of Rage sounds like Kristallnacht, the “night of broken glass” in 1938 when Nazi German mobs unleashed a wave of attacks on Jewish-owned businesses. A repeat of this shameful Holocaust precursor in 2022 is unacceptable, and Americans must stand united against violence regardless of their views on abortion law.

THUMBS UP to Wilson for securing the Little League baseball state championship, which will follow upcoming district tournaments at the J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex.

The opportunity opened this year when organizers awarded our eastern neighbor, the city of Greenville, the right to host the Little League World Series. Greenville previously hosted the state championship, and Wilson emerged as the top candidate to relocate that game.

The Wilson County Tourism Development Authority board approved a $10,000 sponsorship, which will allow local hosts to give state championship contenders a Wilson-style welcome at the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park complete with a showing of classic baseball movie “The Sandlot” and food from Parker’s Barbecue.

As site of the N.C. Baseball Museum and historic Fleming Stadium where a memorable scene in “Bull Durham” was filmed, Wilson has all the baseball bona fides to be a successful state championship host and compete for the Little League World Series in future years. Play ball!