Posted 2:39 am Saturday, July 18, 2009
Party Marks Start Of Rose Festival Season
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By MAEGAN MCGOWEN
Feature Writer
Camera flashes illuminated family, friends and sponsors of the Texas Rose Festival at Willow Brook Country Club Friday evening during the Rose Festival Kick-Off Celebration.
Feature Writer
Camera flashes illuminated family, friends and sponsors of the Texas Rose Festival at Willow Brook Country Club Friday evening during the Rose Festival Kick-Off Celebration.
They gathered together for a short press conference, roses cascading out of planters behind them.
"We are here tonight to celebrate the end of summer practice and the beginning of our countdown to the 76th Texas Rose Festival," said Julie Ischy, executive director for the Texas Rose Festival Association.
"I can't tell you how grateful I am to have such a creative and hardworking group of volunteers standing beside me making this festival a reality. They are vital to this organization, and I'd like to individually thank all of you."
The Kick-Off Party, chaired by Kelli Armstrong and Heather Pickett, officially launches the countdown to the festival, to be held Oct. 8-10 in Tyler.
It's also a way to thank corporate sponsors and the 800-plus volunteers involved in the event.
"Tonight's special event is to honor this year's participants as well as thank the hundreds of volunteers and very generous sponsors in our community who help make the Rose Festival a reality each year," Brad Brookshire, president of the Texas Rose Festival, said.
ROSE SEASON: Texas Rose Festival president Brad Brookshire speaks before the 76th Texas Rose Festival Kick-Off Celebration on Friday at Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler.
One interesting fact about this year's court is its representation of each High School in Tyler, he said.
"Also, a number of our participants are from other states, and one duchess is coming all the way from Dubai," he said.
Brookshire introduced 2009 Duchess of the Rose Growers, Callie Worthen, who spoke about the honor and privilege it is for her to represent one of Tyler's most beautiful assets - the rose industry.
"When our forefathers started growing roses over 76 years ago, I wonder if they knew the legacy that they would leave behind with just those first few fields of roses," she said. "The importance of the rose industry to the community of Tyler helped create the Texas Rose Festival, which is now a celebration of statewide and worldwide recognition."
Next, the 2009 Rose Queen, Emily Austin, expressed her gratitude to the hardworking, talented and motivated people who run the Rose Festival.
She also expressed excitement at a new tradition for the festival - community service.
"The Ladies in Waiting and I were also privileged to partner with Habitat for Humanity to assist in the building for a local family," she said. "It was such a moving experience to give back to our community; I hope this will become a tradition in years to come."
Brookshire thanked Miss Austin and Miss Worthen for being ambassadors for the Tyler community.
"Thank you Callie and Emily," he said. "We invite you to join us as we celebrate our 76th Texas Rose Festival with this year's theme of 'Celebrations and Grandeurs.'"
