LAWRENCE CO. – Last Saturday, the 14th annual Hope Medora Goes Pink festival raised $28,792.94 at their festival to support those struggling with cancer.
“It did rain, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of those attending,’ Said Debra Wayman, founder of the event.
The Jackson County Queen and her court supported the event as well as singer Clarence Brown of Bedford, who has been the emcee for the event for 8 years.
Clarence Brown, 80, would voluntarily sing in local community churches, and one day Debra Wayman approached him. “She asked me to come over and be the emcee,” he said. Clarence has happily and proudly taken on that role ever since.
Clarence was amazed by the continual love and care of the Medora locals and the supporters of Medora Goes Pink.
“When people love you, they love you,” Clarence said, “When people love you like they’re supposed to, they can make a great change in the world. When God makes you a certain way, you gotta carry it out. When God has you in his plan, the sky is the limit.”
That seemed to be the way everyone felt about the topic, and support for the event prevailed despite the drizzly weather.
Medora Goes Pink had a crowd despite the gloomy weather. People milled through vendors to see jewelry, art, crafts, and handiwork of all time. Food vendors and T-shirts with Medora Goes Pink labeled merchandise were frequented, and every corner had a bright splash of pink.
The Hope ambassadors, elected by voting by donation in two collection stations during the festival, raised $1,868.45 of the total on their own.
3rd Grade Arabella Smith and 1st Grade Briar Powell were named the Hope Ambassadors, and they will be responsible for delivering letters of hope in the next year.
Debra Wayman, despite the event just happening, has been hard at work planning the next event, and the festival for 2024. She has also been working to prepare 25 hot-pink love letters to be delivered to those names of people struggling with cancer collected by Medora Goes Pink.
Cancer is a tough opponent, but Medora Goes Pink is fighting valiantly, and will for years to come.
