The 13th annual Artesia Days festival was all about community and, in Artesia, educated children are the future of the community.
As though at a giant block party attracting both residents and visitors, thousands gathered Friday and Saturday in downtown Artesia to enjoy music, food, and each other.
“It”s something to do and have folks come to,” said James Hendrick, an Artesia resident helping park cars and control traffic for the event. “It”s nice; they”re having a good time. We need something like this in the community.”
Wilma Glenn of Starkville also attended the 2009 Artesia Days festival.
“It”s a bigger and better crowd,” she said of this year”s events. “I enjoy walking and looking and eating. You can mingle and mix together (people from) surrounding areas.”
“It”s pretty nice,” agreed Tiffany Ward of West Point.
“It”s nice,” said Catina Rice of Crawford. “It”s to support the community and give kids something to do. It”s nice for the community.”
“I think it”s great entertainment for the town, and it”s an attraction for a lot from out of town and in town also,” said Hattie Sanders, a native of Artesia. “I mostly enjoy seeing all the different faces and the different food being sold. And they give away a lot of school supplies.”
Throughout the festival, organizers gave away donated school supplies, like book bags, and other items, including lawn chairs and two lap top computers, to parents and children heading back to school.
“We started out real small and now we”re up to 7,000 or 8,000 people (attending the festival),” Artesia Mayor Jimmy Sanders said of Artesia Days. “We do this to give back to the community. We do a lot of back-to-school stuff for the kids and stuff for parents. And we get more sponsors every year.
“We really like to try to give back to our community,” he added. “We help so many kids going back to school.”
During a break in the music Saturday, Johnie Cooks, a Starkville resident and former professional football player with the New York Giants, taught a crowd of children a lesson in the value of having an education.
Cooks regaled an eager crowd of children gathered around him with stories of his accomplishments and the trappings of wealth: A million dollars, Mercedes, diamonds and a 1991 Super Bowl ring.
Then, he asked them what he had left of those symbols of success.
“I still have my education,” he responded, after the children ventured their guesses. “That”s what”s important in life. Don”t trade on your education and do what”s right.”
“Education can buy your way,” Dr. Bill Mayfield of Mississippi University for Women told the children. “If you ain”t got no education, you ain”t gonna make no money!”
“It”s a chance for me to get in touch with my community,” Mayfield said of the festival, after speaking to the crowd.
“It”s about education,” Cooks said. “(The message is:) You”ve got to get an education and you”ve got to get it now.”
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