Letters to the Editor

McCrary Place

Thanks to everyone:
On behalf of the Holly Springs Garden Club, Amy Poteet and I would like to thank everyone for the part they played in making the 71st Annual Holly Springs Pilgrimage a success.

Although the weather’s tentative nature caused us to cancel Saturday’s cemetery tour and our scheduled live entertainment on the square, we nevertheless appreciate all the people who had signed on to participate in these events, which included our faithful local participants as well as the Civil War re-enactors and the Varina Howell Davis Chapter (2559) of the United Daughters of the Confederacy from Horn Lake. The Twilight Tour Cemetery characters were marvelous, and entertained an unprecedented nighttime crowd for that event. (We want each and every one of you back next year!) We also would like to thank our Pilgrimage sponsors – Bank of Holly Springs, First State Bank, Merchant & Farmers Bank, Fitch Farms-Galena Plantation, Callicutt Realty, Cottages of Kirkwood, and Goodfella’s Bar & Grill.

Mayor Andre’ DeBerry gave his full support to our efforts in many ways. We would like to thank him for officiating at our opening ceremony on Friday morning, giving the history of our historic courthouse Friday night during the Twilight Cemetery Tour, and participating in the 5K walk/run (and being a winner!). Anything we requested of him during this past year with regard to Pilgrimage, Mayor DeBerry graciously complied. Thanks go as well to the board of aldermen, Chuck Thomas and the supervisors for their cooperation and support.

Police Chief Pearson ensured the safety of our runners for our 5K event. At every critical spot of the run, there were policemen and firemen positioned to keep our runners safe and traffic running smoothly.

The 5K sponsors were Sonic Drive-In, Carlisle’s Big Star, Gatorade, and Tyson’s Drug Store. Committee chair Nancy Jones joins us in thanking Stephen Smith, Carri Hutchens, and Sarah Miller for the hours they spent ensuring this race would be a success!

Greg Barkley was a lifesaver for allowing “Montrose Under the Moonlight” to change venues to Kirkwood when rain ensued. A crowd of over 400 enjoyed dining and dancing with the very popular group, The Diggs, who played a big part in drawing such a large crowd. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped move the party and make everything run smoothly.

Stephanie Movre and Betty Farina at the tourism bureau worked diligently with many aspects of Pilgrimage this year as well as in years past, and for that we remain sincerely grateful. To Barry Burleson and the staff of The South Reporter, a huge “thank you,” not only for the wonderful special Pilgrimage edition in the paper, but also for the various articles leading up to Pilgrimage that kept everyone informed of what would be happening in our beautiful town the weekend of April 17-19!

Thanks go to Diane Schule and her wonderful staff at the Marshall County Library for their cooperation and graciousness in allowing us once again to use the library as our “headquarters” for Pilgrimage.

Special thanks also go to the Holly Springs Utility Department for the part they played in helping assure that all of our electrical needs were met both on the square for the vendors, as well as at Montrose. They are always extremely accommodating.

Finally, if you are reading this letter, helped us with any aspect of Pilgrimage, and don’t see your name here, please do not think that you were forgotten.

It is impossible to name every person who contributed to the success of this Pilgrimage, and although we cannot name everyone in this letter, we know who you are and you have our profound appreciation.

Sincerely,
Sherry Childers
Co-chair
Pilgrimage 2009

Thanks for your votes:
Please accept our sincere thanks for all those who voted for McCrary Place in Haas and Rohm’s spring “Spruce Up Your House” contest in March.

We were notified that we were named one of the eight first place winners and will receive up to $5000 to paint our historic home.

We also will get a blue spruce from the Arbor Day Foundation. http://vote.mediagravy.com/finalistpage.php.

Friends and community made this happen for us and we are grateful!

Dr. Robert and Marylane Koch and family
Byhalia residents on
historic Church Street


Thursday, April 30, 2009
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