PANOLA COUNTY TAKES TO THE SKIES!
If you like aviation, then Panola County was the place to be May 20-22. “Our Celebration of Flight BalloonFest, began like a dream,” said Shelley Caraway, Event Coordinator. “Beginning Friday morning, up to twenty-one balloons dotted the skies over the Panola County Airport. Hundreds of spectators attended the Friday night glow and two thousand attended the Saturday evening glow.” Saturday's events included a car show organized by the Panola County Car Club and a tractor display presented by the East Texas Antique Tractor and Engine Association. The weekend event netted more than $6,500 in scholarship money for several Panola County participants.
“We organized the Balloon Festival to raise scholarship money for students planning to attend Panola College,” said Caraway. “Anyone interested in attending Panola College was encouraged to volunteer to work during the weekend to be eligible to receive a scholarship. We are pleased to announce that twelve volunteers will be awarded a scholarship and an endowment pledge was funded through gate, food, and t-shirt sales."
The Panola County Car Club raised money to fund the “Brent Gee Memorial Criminal Justice Scholarship.” The $150 scholarship will be awarded to a Panola College Student majoring in Criminal Justice. The recipient must also be a resident of Panola County or the Panola College service area. If no applicant meets this criteria, the scholarship will award based on financial need to a Carthage High School graduate.
The Jefferson Sport Flyers raised money during the festival to fund the “Mark Schultz Memorial Engineering Scholarship”. Jefferson Sport Flyers will award the $150 scholarship to a Panola College Student majoring in Engineering. The recipient must be a resident of Panola County or Panola College’s service area. If no applicant meets this criteria, the scholarship will award based on financial need to a Carthage High School graduate.
Demonstrating their commitment to helping the community, twenty-one members of the Carthage Rotary Club volunteered their time to operate a children’s moonwalk. Together they were to raise over $300 to help fund scholarships for CISD graduates planning to attend Panola College.
The Panola College Adult Basic Education department manned the concessions trailer to raise money for scholarships. Laura Wood, ABE Coordinator for Panola College, said "funds will be used primarily to assist students seeking to attain their GED."
Boy Scout Troop 268 was also very involved in the weekend’s activities. Scouts, and several of their parents, acted as crew members for many of the balloons attending the event. They helped unpack and inflate hot air balloons, rode in chase vehicles and at the end of the day’s activities, assisted balloonist with packing and stowing the balloons. Scouts also assisted the Panola College Police Department with traffic control and on Saturday they hosted a pancake breakfast as a fund raiser to assist with scout training.
“An event like this takes a lot of planning and coordination on the part of everyone and it would not have been possible without the support of our community, said Caraway. “Plans are already underway to organize the 2nd annual Celebration of Flight BalloonFest. If anyone would like to participate or needs additional information please call 903-986-0933