Leeds Moody Messenger
Another Creek Bank Festival is in the bag. The weather was beautiful. It was a little warm, but I have no complaints because God was very gracious in holding back any rain. The beginning of the week indicated a good chance of thunderstorms, but by Saturday the chances had dissipated. We had great crowds and plenty of entertainment and fun. With benches provided by the city, it was so great to see plenty of people enjoying the entertainers all day long on two different stages. There were many local talents who performed this year as well as celebrities that included Miss Alabama Jessica Procter, Miss Leeds Area Bailey Kennon and Terry Padgett, Elvis Tribute Artist.
This was only the second performance by our very own famous Terry Padgett after approximately eight months of recovering from severe injuries due to a motorcycle accident last year. Terry has performed as Elvis for over seventeen years with many performances all over the state and beyond. After his Saturday Creek Bank performance, fans came over to have their picture made with Terry and expressed how excited they were that he was back to performing. One of his raving fans, Nila Bradley of Leeds, shared that she and her family were headed out of the park just before 2 p.m. after spending several hours at the festival when she heard the announcement that Terry would be performing at 3 p.m. She told her family that they could do whatever they wanted to do, but that she was going back to hear Terry perform; then, she found a place in the shade for all of them and waited for over an hour to see the performance. Terry’s performance was definitely worth the wait! For more information about Terry, please visit his website at www.TerryAsElvis.com.
There were a ton of vendors and other attractions at Creek Bank which drew crowds. The winner of the Mascot Challenge was Dr. Wags with Main Street Family Urgent Care, second place Blaze from UAB, third place Lillie Mays from Birmingham Barons. Other participants Chick-Fil-A cows, Greenie the Green Wave, Sparky from Leeds FD, and Homer from Miracle League in Moody.
The Hula Hoop Contest was a new attraction this year with a large number of contestants who kept those hula hoops going. The ones that were in the playoffs with the hula hoops swinging around their necks were amazing. There’s always a group ready for the Moon Pie Eating Contest and this year was no exception. There were three age divisions this year. It’s almost disgusting to see contestants push Moon Pies in their mouths and race the clock to see if they can eat the most.
Lip Sync Contest winners included: 1st Place – Dayton Townsend, 2nd Place – Angelica Kelly and 3rd Place – Maddy Inzer and Kylie Smith. Winners of the Creek Bark Dog Pageant included Small Breeds: 1st Place – Milly the Chihuahua owned by the Gibson family, 2nd Place – Emma the Dachshund owned by Becky and Ken Wise, 3rd Place – Ellie the Finnish Lapphund owned by Cardine Lobdell; Large Breeds: 1st Place – Bo the Newfoundland owned by Ken Atkinson, 2nd Place – Josie the German Shepherd owned by Catherine Moore, 3rd Place – Rugger the Boxer/Beagle owned by Ben Elliott and the Talent Award went to Skyler the Australian Shepherd owned by Lindsey Wilson. Skyler stole the show with the tricks: sit, lay down and rollover.
We truly appreciate the hard work and contribution that the Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce and all of the Creek Bank Festival sponsors and volunteers make so host this festival each year. Be sure to save the date for next year, which will be Saturday, May 18, 2019.
Cruising the Creek Bank Car Show finished with over 150 cars and counting. The front of Leeds Memorial Park was full of cars. Over $3500 was raised to benefit Leeds Outreach and Backpack Buddies. A special thank you to Chris and Christy McCombs of C & C Motor Company and all of their sponsors who made this possible.
Remember that Ladies Night Out Is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 25 at the Leeds River Campus of Eden Westside Baptist Church. This month’s event will include a game night with food, fun and fellowship. Bring your favorite snack and beverage to share. This is a free event. For more information, please call 205-338-7711.
The Distinguished Young Women of St. Clair County Scholarship Program is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jun. 2 at Springville Middle School Auditorium. Make plans to attend as eight area high school senior women compete for college scholarships. Admission is $10. For more information, please email stclair@distinguishedyw.org or call 205-515-5544.
Leeds First Baptist Church will host Vacation Bible School from Sunday through Thursday, Jun. 3-7, from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. The theme this year is Game On with activities and classes available for students entering 1st through 7th grades. For more information and to register online, please visit www.FBCLeeds.org/vbs.
The Miss Leeds Area Pageant is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jun. 23 at Leeds High School Auditorium. Miss Leeds Area was founded in 1980 and is an official preliminary to the Miss Alabama Scholarship pageant. The Miss and Outstanding Teen pageants are open pageants. Application packets and information is available at www.missleedsarea.net.
As we approach Memorial Day weekend, let us remember the people who died while serving our country in the military. They gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives so that we may enjoy the many freedoms we have here in America. May we always have an appreciation toward their families. I am truly thankful and proud to be an American.
Thought for the Week: “There is nothing nobler than risking your life for your country.” ~Nick Lampson
I truly appreciate each of you who read my column and I really love sharing news so please send your Leeds and Moody news to me at leedsmoodynews@gmail.com.