The Tanner High School varsity cheerleaders had a special float in Thursday night’s Reliance Bank Christmas Parade in Athens. The float commemorated the April 27 tornado outbreak with a special tribute sign to the hardest hit communities of East Limestone and Tanner, which had a total of four deaths. The float included a green ribbon with the words “Neighbor Helping Neighbor” and the names of each school community in the county around the float. On the back was a house with a sign that said, “Dear Santa, all we want for Christmas is the 2A State Championship.” Tanner played Friday for the championship.

The Friends in Ripley group won their seventh grand prize float ribbon in eight years. This year’s float included falling snow, a 14-foot Santa, downtown buildings, elves and a replica of the Limestone County Courthouse. The group, which builds floats in memory of Ripley farmer Ed Black, will use the prize money to buy Bibles in Black’s memory.

First place float, Craig Lumber and Building Supply
Second place float, Servpro
Third place float, West Limestone Future Farmers of America
Best decorated vehicle, Owens Volunteer Fire Department
Best horse entry, Right Touch owned by Jacqueline Davis.

Article by Holly Hollman
Photos by Don Todd AthensPlus.com
December 1st, 2011