By By Lee Weyhrich
The weather was great for what may have been the largest Mayfest in the history of the event.
While financial figures are still coming in to determine how much the event raised for the chamber, individual events such as the Mutt Strut, the beautiful baby contest and the photography contest have shown a lot of success.
Lori Armenti helped organize the Mutt Strut to raise money for the Atmore Animal Shelter.
"It went very well, we did very good," Armenti said. "We raised $255. We really appreciate all the donations that the sponsors gave us. That money is going to help people spay and neuter their animals."
Dozens of dogs and their owners showed up at the event Saturday afternoon to help raise money for the Spayd With Heart program.
Jason Kirby and his dog Gracie, a Weimeramer, took home the first place trophy in the contest, which featured 17 contestants. Gracie was decked out in her pink workout clothes including sweat bands on each ankle.
Karen Eiland and her dog Lacy, a lab mix, took home second place. Lacy and her owner were both dressed in Atmore Police Department-like outfits including badges and guns.
Adam Prestridge and his dog Ginger, a wire-haired Dachshund, took home third place. Ginger flaunted around in her denim mini skirt and pink shirt accented by a big pink bow.
Skylar Hall and her dog Cacy and John Palmer and his dog Christy took home the honorable mention prizes.
"The people seemed to really enjoy it this year," Armenti said. "Next year we wish we could do it earlier in the day so the dog's won't get so hot."
The photography contest, a new event at Mayfest, also met with a lot of success.
"We were really excited about the fact we had so many participants and we had some great work," Captured Moments photographer and contest organizer P.J Clayton said. "The kids put in a lot of thought and put a lot of artistic eyes."
Although the photos were voted on without the judges knowing anything about the photographers seven of the eight winners were from Atmore.
"We had quite a few entries so I thought that was rather unexpected," another event organizer Wesley Channel said. "Melissa Moore won two honorable mentions in addition to her second-place win. I did not even know who the winners were until Sunday morning. We decided on the winners last Monday and we just got the photograph and a number, so we could judge the work without knowing whose it was. I was really surprised Emily and Melissa Moore won so much."
Emily Moore won first place in the photo contest as well as one honorable mention, Melissa Moore won second place and two honorable mentions, Caroline Enge won third place, and Haley Brecada and Amber Yoder each won honorable mentions.
"I liked them all, I really did," Clayton said. "The kids did so well and we had a hard time picking them out too. There were five judges; one per category."
There were four age categories in the beautiful baby contest, which was also divided up by boys and girls divisions.
Hank Farrell won the three-to-11-month-old boys division and Jasmine Rolin won the girls division. Jaxon Singleton and Azarian Johnson both finished runner-up in the age category.
In the one-year-old age category, Eli Mallory was the winning boy and Sarah Margaret Hetrick won the girls division. Braden Crysell and Grayson James both finished runner-up.
Austin Donald and Gabby Williams won the beautiful baby title in the two-year-old age category, followed by Christian Hixon and Mary Cochran Ward, which finished in the runner-up spots.
In the three-year-old age category, the oldest group in the contest, Monroe Johnson won the boys division and Savannah Roley finished first in the girls division. The runner-up babies were Jalen Martin in the boys division and Madison McKinley in the girls.