City float captures first place in Killeen Christmas parade

The City of Copperas Cove float captured yet again another first place parade award, this time in the Killeen Christmas parade. With 113 entries in the 55th Annual Killeen Christmas Parade, the float, which started promoting tourism for the City of Copperas Cove at the end of September, has either won first place or placed in the top five of every parade entered during the holiday season. 
“We were really surprised when we got the call from the City of Killeen that we won first place in the parade and would be honored at a luncheon this past Friday,” said Wendy Sledd, director of the Miss Copperas Cove Five Hills Scholarship Program.  “We were thrilled, of course, to bring back another win for the City of Copperas Cove and to have represented our community so well once again.”
The city float with the Copperas Cove Five Hills royalty won first place at the Gatesville parade earlier the same day as the Killeen parade. Earlier that same week, the float placed in the top five in the Temple Christmas Parade with 150 entries, third in the Lampasas Lighted Christmas Parade the weekend prior, and first place in the Copperas Cove Veterans Parade in November. 
“We have experienced success well beyond our expectations this year,” Sledd said. “Each parade had a different theme which required different decorations and music for the float and our royalty to wear different costumes for each parade. With 17 royalty and six parades, it was quite an undertaking. But, we had a lot of help from the community and it all came together. A huge thank you to John and Dawn Hale who have served as the official drivers for the float since it was unveiled at the Texas State Fair Opening Day Downtown Parade in Dallas in September.  We absolutely could not have achieved what we did for the City of Copperas Cove without their support.”
The titleholders also participated in the City of Copperas Cove annual library Christmas Party. The Copperas Cove Five Hills royalty lent a hand to the young guests making crafts and then joined in to make a few crafts of their own. They ended the evening with some Christmas carols.
Copperas Cove Five Hills Ambassador Trisha Stutz and Copperas Cove Sr. Ms. Five Hills Hope Ransom made the holidays much brighter for junior enlisted men and women in uniform by volunteering at Fort Hood’s Santa’s Workshop. 
“We are able to meet with families one-on-one and help them pick out stocking stuffers, a book, game, toys and even bikes and athletic equipment,” Stutz said. “This is the second year I have been able to volunteer with Santa’s Workshop and it is always a blessing.”
In royal sightings this week, look for the royalty to serve Christmas dinner to the homeless with the Copperas Cove Soup Kitchen.