By Sarrah Peters, News Editor
On December 2, a different kind of Christmas parade will take place in the Wellington community in east Glencoe. About five years ago, Webster’s Chapel Methodist Church began holding the Redneck Christmas Parade.
“We did it just for fun, and it was so much fun we just kept doing it,” said Linda Burnett, who works at the church.
The parade has about 30 entries and estimates over 100 people. Entrants include people riding on horseback, decorated lawn mowers and four wheelers, tractors, horse and buggies and antique cars. The parade will travel along a three mile stretch of road in Wellington that begins at the church. Burnett said that the parade moves along slowly enough that the lawn mowers can keep up.
The parade entrants will line up at 9:30 a.m. at Webster Chapel’s Methodist Church. The parade will begin at 11 a.m.
The community hopes that the parade will bring attention to the A.P. Hollingsworth Community Center, located across the street from the Webster’s Chapel Methodist Church at 1596 A.P. Hollingsworth Road in Wellington.
During the tornadoes in April 2011, the community center was destroyed along with part of the fire department.
Now, nearly seven years later a new community center is in the process of being rebuilt. The exterior is finished, but the center is still working to install heating and cooling units, plumbing and toilets and furniture. The building will be open during the parade so the community can see the progress of the ongoing project. The community center also contains a small storm shelter that is prepared to be used, if inclement weather requires it.
So far, the community center has spent $130,000 in rebuilding. To raise the money to finish the project, the center is selling commemorative plaques that will be displayed on a board in the center. The plaques can be personalized in honor or memory of loved ones or the name of the donor or business. There are four options for plaques: 3.5 by 4.5-inch black plaques with gold letters for $100; 8.5 by 10.5-inch bronze plaques for $200; 8.5 by 10.5-inch silver plaques for $300; and 8.5 by 10.5-inch gold plaques for $500 or more.
For more information about donating, call Jerry King at 256-504-0269.