There were no chickens or cows as far as the eye could see, but on Saturday there was an abundance of farm equipment rolling through the streets of Hayesville.
The yearly Clay County Tractor Parade came off without a hitch, although there was one occasion where a chain was used, as nearly 50 tractors came rolling up Jailhouse hill and onto the downtown square.
The tractor parade always provides an abundance of fun and tasty foods like the hotdogs prepared this year by Truett Baptist Church, but there is much goodwill that does into the event.
The tractor club has raised $49,000 for local scholarships through the Dwight Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund. A young man who was killed in a farming accident in 1994.
Scholarship money comes from the yearly tractor raffle, among other sales, in which tickets are sold for $5 each or four for $20.
This year the club upped its ante, bringing in a record $9,000 in ticket sales on the 1951 John Deere tractor — several thousand more than last year.
“We actually sold more on that tractor than we’ve ever sold,” club treasurer Jeff Lowe said.
The raffle winner’s name was called at the end of the event and for the first time, according to Lowe, the winner wasn’t in attendance.
Luckily, you don’t have to be present to win and Richard M. Green, of Rockyface, Ga. later received the good news of winning the John Deere by phone.
Lowe said in addition to the scholarship fund, remaining money is used for local kids programs such as Shop With a Hero at Christmas.