Contest will decide faces of the Watermelon Festival

By Staff
Jason Cannon
The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce is looking for two local children to be featured on billboards advertising the Watermelon Festival.
Each year, the billboards are placed all around Northwest Alabama, hoping to attract visitors to the county' annual event.
Chamber Director Cheryl Bradford said this year, she's looking for a boy and a girl that wouldn't mind launching their local modeling career.
"They will be the faces of the Watermelon Festival as far as advertising is concerned," she said.
The two children will be picked through a contest, with the support of the community.
Bradford said she will be collecting photos from applicants, which will be taken to local newspapers. The photos will run in the newspaper and family, friends, neighbors and readers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite for 25 cents per vote.
"The entry fee is $10 per child and it's open to any boy and girl 12 and under in the county," Bradford said.
The children selected must be a resident of the county.
"It's a Franklin County festival and the winner should be a Franklin County resident," Bradford said.
The proceeds from the entry fees and the votes will go toward paying for the billboards and a prize for the boy and girl winner.
Entry forms are available at the Chamber of Commerce and are available online at fct.wpengine.com.
The deadline for entries and votes is May 30 at 5 p.m. and all entry fees and votes must be taken to the chamber of commerce office.
Winners will also be featured on the cover of "Faces and Places," an annual magazine published by the Franklin County Times, which is circulated throughout the state.
Winners will be announced the first week of June so billboards can be erected by July.