[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CHILTON COUNTY ALABAMA CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHILTON 
                         COUNTY PEACH FESTIVAL

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                             HON. BOB RILEY

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 25, 1997

  Mr. RILEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Chilton 
County Peach Festival. Chilton County is known across the country for 
the fine peaches it produces. Each year the Chilton County Peach 
Festival pays tribute to these peaches and the growers who produce 
them. The Clanton Jaycees, the sponsors of the festival, work alongside 
the Chilton County fruit growers to make this event a success. This 
year is particularly exciting not only because of the bumper crop of 
peaches, but because this year marks the 50th anniversary of the 
Chilton County Peach Festival.
  The first festival was held in 1947 in Thorsby, AL. It was sponsored 
by the Clanton Kiwanis Club, the Thorsby Business Men's Club, the 
Thorsby Civic Club, the Clanton Lion's Club, and the Clanton Chamber of 
Commerce. The Chilton County Chamber of Commerce has also sponsored the 
event. The festival was eventually moved to Clanton, the county seat. 
For many years the energetic young men and women of the Clanton Jaycees 
have devoted countless hours to this festival, making it the largest 
event in Chilton County.
  The festival is celebrated each June with a parade, a peach queen 
contest, and a peach auction. The auction provides funds that allows 
the Clanton Jaycees to perform charitable work throughout the year, 
including furnishing Christmas presents for children from economically 
disadvantaged families. The parade has numerous entries, including the 
winners of the Chilton County Peach Queen contest and their courts. The 
three queens are chosen by judges during contests held the week of the 
festival. The winners are crowned as Miss Peach, Junior Miss Peach, and 
Little Miss Peach. We would like to extend our congratulations to the 
winners and to all the former queens returning for this anniversary 
celebration.
  Chilton County peach growers truly deserve this annual tribute. These 
growers have worked through years of droughts, floods, insect 
infestations, and bitter cold to protect the trees from harm and save 
the crop that is so valuable to the economy of Chilton County. In fact, 
the peaches these growers produce account for approximately 75 percent 
of the peaches grown in Alabama. The peach industry brings an estimated 
$40 million dollars to Chilton County every year. These peaches are 
sold at local markets that attract many tourists who want to buy the 
famous fruit and mouth-watering products made from them, such as peach 
ice cream. Peaches from Chilton County also can be found in grocery 
store produce sections across the country.
  We would like to extend our congratulations to the people of Chilton 
County on the 50th anniversary of the Chilton County Peach Festival. We 
would also like to pay special tribute to the Clanton Jaycees and the 
Chilton County peach growers, who make it all possible.

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