Cove Festival brings families together

Special to Leader-Press 

The go-carts whizzed around the track at Camp Triumph as children shrieked in delight in the splash pad and pool at Copperas Cove’s first Operation Family Matters Festival hosted by Teach Them to Love Community Outreach.  The help of the Copperas Cove Five Hills royalty was enlisted to work the information booth to help guests find their way to the various activities.
But, the highlight of the day was the fashion show of Rainbow Rose Designs where the Cove titleholders served as models of the outfits designed and created by 2016 pre-teen queen, Emma Rose Gill.
“To have the gorgeous Five Hills royalty immediately volunteer to model for the fashion show meant a lot to me. They jumped in to help right away, even the littlest ones, and they were so cute. Their enthusiasm and readiness was fantastic. As soon as I asked them to create routines, they had them in an instant and went on stage with smiles and confidence,” Gill said. “It meant so much to me to see my designs up there, and the people who were wearing them having so much fun. Girls who have never modeled before in their lives got that chance, and I love helping other people feel special. All of my designs are modest and inspired by the past. It made me overjoyed to see that everyone liked them. The message that I have behind everything I do is that you can do anything you put your mind to and the Operation Family Matters event certainly helps spread that message as does the Five Hills royalty.”
Each of the titleholders selected an outfits from Gill’s custom fashion line. They modeled in pairs and then individually.  Emily Kimball succeeded Gill as Pre-Teen Miss Five Hills prior to being selected as the Copperas Cove Five Hills Ambassador.
“In 2017, when Emma crowned me as her successor for Preteen Miss, I did not realize how talented she was. Seeing her on Saturday and being able to model clothes designed by her was an exciting and a fun opportunity,” Kimball said. “I had never modeled clothes before and I loved my outfit that Emma designed and put together. She has an amazing talent.”
The royalty spent July 4th week celebrating with the elderly at Cove Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and representing the City of Copperas Cove in the Belton July 4th Parade where members of all branches of service rode on the city float. 
In royal sightings this week, the titleholders will participate in a variety of Spring Ho activities including the parade, pageant, cardboard boat regatta, kayak races, fishing derby and more.  Kimball will also share the plans for Copperas Cove’s proposed dog park with members of the Copperas Cove Rotary Club.