Five Hills royalty capture first place win in hometown parade

Special to Leader-Press 

Copperas Cove’s first public school, Hotel Simpson, stockyards, stagecoach stop and post office. The historic beginnings of Copperas Cove created the theme, Christmas in Our Hometown, which captured first place float honors in the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce’s Krist Kindl Parade.  

Each of the Copperas Cove Five Hills royalty, clad in white cowboy hats and boots, stood next to giant posters of more than a dozen historic sites on the city float, each sharing with the judges when the historic sites were erected. 

Although the titleholders participated in more than a half dozen Christmas parades this holiday season, the Copperas Cove parade was the favorite of Preteen Miss Five Hills Kaydence Roberts.

“I loved that we all got to dress up in our white cowboy hats. This theme was all about our city and we got to learn so much about our history and share it with everyone,” Roberts said. “A first place win is always great. But when you win first place in your hometown, it makes it even sweeter. And, I couldn’t be more proud.”

Copperas Cove Five Hills Ambassador Briana Liles introduced the parade entry to the judges and talked about the city’s beginning when the population was less than 300 people.

“The Cove parade is so important to me. We work really hard on our entries and win at lots of parades. It feels great to represent Cove in those towns, but to win in our own town makes me the most proud,” Liles said. “We got to dress western and talk about all the historic buildings and history behind Copperas Cove. It was a lot of fun and we hope we can continue to make Cove proud.”

Darrin Cross held his granddaughter, Tiny Miss Five Hills Isabella Cross, on the parade float as the toddler waved to the crowd.

“It was such an honor hearing we won first place. Our goal was to publicly show our hometown how proud we are to represent them and we 100 percent completed it,” Cross said. 

Little Miss Five Hills Mikayla Heileson is very shy and needed a little help saying her part to the judges. But in the end, it was all worth it.

“I am so happy we won and I was happy the theme was Christmas in Our Hometown,” Heileson said. “I loved wearing a cowboy hat for the parade.”

Junior Miss Five Hills Hayley Sawyer has lived in Copperas Cove her entire life. 

“Our theme, Christmas in our Hometown, was so very special to me because sharing some of the community’s history in the parade showed our pride of our hometown,” Sawyer said. “Winning first was amazing because we definitely wanted to do our best to represent our city in the most wonderful way.”