$200K yamminess

marjorie says...

Many long time m-pyre readers know that I go home for the Yamboree every year, and you'll also be acquainted with the long-standing tradition of our small-town festival to pick its "Yam Queen" based on tickets sales.

In other words, the richest girl in town is always the queen, and the less wealthy girls become her "princess" and her "ladies-in-waiting."

Usually, there are six clubs that sponsor a girl in the contest. In principle, the girl sells tickets to support the Yamboree, and I'm sure that they do actually go out and sell. But we all know that the parents also kick in. This isn't anything unknown in town--everyone knows it.

People predict every year which of a small group of families will be successful at buying their daughter the crown. It's kind of a game. And most don't really have a problem with it, even though this practice has pretty much ensured that there has never once been an African-American queen, despite the significant presence of that community in northeast Texas. Not to mention the vast numbers of rural lower-income girls, in general, who will never get the opportunity to reign supreme on a big float parading through town, in a massive dress that in itself costs $1000s upon $1000s.

Alas. The festival, which is enjoyed by at least 100,000 people every year, does have to paid for somehow. And it is a great time every year. So...you know, the rich will be rich, after all. Is it really too much to ask that we watch their young daughters, in all their sequined finery, roll by us briefly amid all the marching bands?

Shrug a little, roll eyes, give a tiny smirk, let's go get a turkey leg...

The winner of this year's contest was just announced: Queen Stephanie it is. But wait, back up, something's a little different this year.

From the Gilmer Mirror: "Ticket sales to this year's Coronation and Barn Dances raised $292,710."

Holy Moly.

Yeah, the tops for the winning family is usually at most $100,000ish.

Word on the street is that the mama called the club and said if they picked her daughter to sponsor, she'd kick in $200k.

...hmm...big question: what's an extra $200k gonna get us this year?