Summer season has Five Hills royalty busy volunteering

Special to Leader-Press 

Copperas Cove Five Hills Ambassador Dawn Hale’s hands gripped the plastic pipe to which the banner that read, Survivors, was adhered. She was flanked by Christy Liles and Edna Torres and others who are victors over the deadly disease of cancer. The champions of life proudly walked the track of Hanke Stadium as their caregivers walked in the other direction to meet in the middle of the track and unite as one at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event.
“Attending this event was very personal to me as I have lost both my father & father in-law to this deadly disease. Being a two-time cancer survivor myself, I fight harder in honor of them.   I also walked for my friends who are survivors,” Hale said. 
Two of those friends Hale referred to are Liles and Torres. Their children, Little Miss Five Hills Braelyn Liles and Teen Miss Five Hills Angelica Torres, walked the lap as caregivers.     
“While Braelyn is still young, she understands that cancer survivor events are a time to celebrate that she still has her mom,” said Christy Liles, Braelyn’s mother. Liles is a kidney cancer survivor who attended both Relay for Life and the Scott and White Killeen Clinic’s Cancer Survivors Day event where the royalty volunteered in several capacities. 
Young Miss Five Hills Emily Kimball said representing the City of Copperas Cove is a true honor and she welcomes the fast-paced schedule. 
“Our royalty were proud to represent the City as the cancer survivors day event, Relay for Life, food truck festival, and the Lemonade Day Golf Tournament,” Kimball said. “However, my favorite event that we went to this week was the Father’s Day Ice Cream Social at the nursing home, I got to serve ice cream and visit with the residents and hear some pretty cool stories.”
The nursing home visit was the service project of Hale who hosted a Mother’s Day Tea last month.
“Being able to physically go inside the nursing home to sit down with the men, just talking with them and eating ice cream was a real treat for me,” Hale said. “With COVID keeping us outside for over a year was difficult. Seeing their smiles made my day. One resident Joe was so overjoyed with us being able to visit again, he shed tears of joy. This warmed my heart beyond words.” 
Angelica Torres echoed the sentiment that the nursing home visit was the highlight of her week.
“Being around some of the dads and seeing them smile and hearing their stories was so much fun,” Torres said.
With a total of five events on their calendar during the week, the royalty paid tribute to the 1980s, the theme of the Copperas Cove Annual Food Truck Festival, with their attire of over-the-top silhouettes, teased hair, spandex leggings, velour, leg warmers, and saturated colors.
“Getting decked out in my 80s outfit brought back fun memories of growing up during that time,” Hale said.    
In royal sightings this week, the titleholders will attend the Copperas Cove Library Summer Reading Program Kick-Off, visit several sponsor locations, and represent the City in the Holland Corn Festival Parades and contests.