Magnolia Festival awards 15 scholarships

Published 3:19 pm Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Gardendale Magnolia Festival Coordinator Kathleen Phillips was very pleased with the success of the festival that the Alabama Tourism Department ranks as a top 10 destination for May.

It is estimated by festival officials that approximately 25,000 people visited the eleventh annual festival on May 4-5.

Of the money raised, 15 high school seniors were selected to receive $1,000 in college scholarship money. Gardendale High School was well represented with 11 students on the list, plus two from Mortimer Jordan High, one from Hayden High and one from the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School.

Individually, the students are:

• Morgan Ramsey, Blake Guinn, Krista Doss, Alexandria Martin, Haley Hardman, Austin Patrick, Michelle Sanderson,  Sarah Brewis, Mason McAnnally, Brooklyn McKinney and Abigail Hill, Gardendale

• Toni Barnes, Hayden

• Trey Rogers and Ruth Wood, Mortimer Jordan

• Nicolas Getwan, Jefferson County International Baccalaureate

In addition, the festival selected two charities, Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama and Cornerstone Ranch, each will receive a $1,000 donation.

Festival Director Lynn Dodson and Assistant Director Ashley Morris were recognized with the adult volunteer awards for their contributions for the festival beauty pageants. “They volunteer tirelessly all year to put on two pageants to raise money for scholarships for Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival,” wrote Phillips in a press release.

Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival is a Miss Alabama preliminary pageant which will be held at the Gardendale Civic Center on July 22.

Gardendale student Nicole Barnes won the Student Volunteer Award. She has volunteered for the festival more than the required three hours in order to apply for a scholarship. Barnes has dressed as the festival’s mascot, Maggie Magnolia, for several years at the Christmas parade and during the festivals.

All of the presentations for scholarships, donations and awards will be made at the Gardendale City Council meeting on May 21 at 6 p.m.

Phillips said no date has been set for next year’s festival, but a date would be selected by June.