Some were dressed like princesses. Others donned painted designs or additional stickers and accessories. But the turtles of Alexander City were always ready to race.
And the people of Alexander City and surrounding areas were always ready to show up for the annual racing event.
kAm(96? z6??J s62? DA@EE65 2 EFCE=6 :? 9:D J2C5 2 76H 52JD 28@[ :E DE:CC65 FA ?@DE2=8:2 7@C 9:D 72G@C:E6 A2DE 4@>>F?:EJ 6G6?E]k^Am
kAm%9:D >@?E9 H@F=5 92G6 >2C<65 E96 c_kDFAmE9k^DFAm 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 E96 %FCE=6?64< %FCE=6 #246D[ DE2CE65 3J z6??J s62? 2?5 9:D 72>:=J H96? E96J =:G65 @? %FCE=6?64< #@25]k^Am
kAm“xE DE2CE65 2D 2 ;@<6 E9:?8 3FE 2D E:>6 H6?E @?[ H6 FD65 E96 6G6?E E@ C2:D6 D@>6 >@?6J[” z6??J s62? D2:5] “p =@E @7 :E H6?E E@ E96 p>6C:42? r2?46C $@4:6EJ 3FE H6 6?565 FA C2:D:?8 D@>6 Sa_[___ 2E @?6 A@:?E] %92E’D H96? #FDD6== Wr@CA]X H2D C@4<:?’ 2?5 C@==:?’j E96J’5 5@?2E6 %\D9:CED 2?5 5@ E96 AC:?E:?8 2?5 H6 H@F=5 D6== E96> 7@C S`_ 2?5 >2<6 E96 H9@=6 AC@7:E E@ 5@?2E6]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 BF:C<J EC25:E:@? 92D 4@>6 E@ 2? 6?5[ :E’D ?@E @?6 E92E H6?E DH:7E=J @C H:E9@FE 4@?;FC:?8 FA @=5 >6>@C:6D]k^Am
kAm“xE DE2CE65 H96? z6??J yC] H2D 23@FE b @C c J62CD @=5[” s62? D2:5] “xE H2D 2=H2JD 2 <:5 E9:?8 2?5 E96? 25F=ED DE2CE65 86EE:?8 :?E@ :E] (6’5 8:G6 @FE EC@A9:6D 7@C E96 36DE\5C6DD65 EFCE=6 2?5 96=5 E96 |:DD %FCE=6?64< %FCE=6 #246] x E9:?< :E H2D 3:886C E92? |:DD p>6C:42]”k^Am
kAmp== ;@<6D 2D:56[ s62? D2:5 E96 72>:=J\@C:6?E65 6G6?E D?@H32==65 @G6C E:>6 E@ 3C:?8 :? E9@FD2?5D @7 A2CE:4:A2?ED 2?5 2EE6?566D E@ H2E49 EFCE=6D C246 — @C >@C6 C62=:DE:42==J[ 9:56 :? E96:C D96==D 2?5 ?@E >@G6 7C@> 2== E96 9@==6C:?8 7C@> E96 4C@H5]k^Am
kAm“p =@E @7 E:>6D E96J’5 ;FDE D:E E96C6 2?5 ?@E >@G6 3FE @?46 E96 C246 DE2CE65 J@F 4@F=5?’E E@F49 E96>[” s62? D2:5 H:E9 2 49F4<=6]k^Am
kAm%96 ?2>6 @7 E96 82>6 H2D E@ 7:?5 2 EFCE=6 2?5 A6CD@?2=:K6 :ED D96== 367@C6 E96 3:8 52J]k^Am
kAm“%96 :>28:?2E:@?D E96D6 25F=ED 2?5 <:5D 925 — :E H2D DF49 2 3:8 4@>>F?:EJ 6G6?E[” s62? D2:5] “W!6@A=6 7@C E96 tE9:42= %C62E>6?E @7 p?:>2=DX 8@E @? @FC 42D6 @?6 J62C 3FE H6 7@F?5 @FE :E 5@6D?’E 5@ 2?J 92C> E@ AFE A2:?E @? E96 EFCE=6D’ D96==D]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 @C82?:K6CD E@J65 2C@F?5 H:E9 @E96C E:>6D @7 E96 J62C[ yF?6 D66>65 E@ 36 E96 36DE 2?5 @?=J >@?E9 E92E H@C<65]k^Am
kAm“yF?6 H2D 2=H2JD 2 8@@5 >@?E9 3642FD6 :? E96 $@FE9 H96? :E DE2CED C2:?:?8 :7 J@F 86E @FE :? E96 =2E6 27E6C?@@?[ J@F D66 WE96 EFCE=6DX 4C@DD:?8 E96 C@25[” s62? D2:5] “yF=J H2D E@@ 9@E 2?5 |2J H2D ;FDE E@@ 62C=J]”k^Am
kAm%96 6G6?E =2F?4965 2E E96 s62?’D 9@FD6 @? %FCE=6?64< #@25 2?5 H2D 2??@F?465 @? E96 >@C?:?8 D9@H @7 2 3:8 ?6HD ?6EH@C< 2?5 ;FDE E@@< @77]k^Am
kAm“xE 8@E 4C2KJ[” s62? D2:5] “(6 C62==J DE2CE65 AC@>@E:?8 :E 2?5 :E H6?E 7C@> 9F?5C65D E@ >2J36 2E E:>6D 2 E9@FD2?5 A6@A=6]”k^Am
kAm%96 4@>A6E:E:@? @FE8C6H E96 s62?D’ J2C5[ H2D 6G6?EF2==J >@G65 E@ (:?5 rC66< $E2E6 !2C< 2?5 6?565 FA 2E E96 p=6I r:EJ p:CA@CE !2G:=:@? E96 =2DE 76H J62CD :E H2D 96=5]k^Am
kAm“xE 925 8C@H? D@ >F49 H6 925 E@ CF? C246D :? 5:G:D:@?D[” s62? D2:5] “|2J36 C246 `_ @C `d 2E 2 E:>6 2?5 E96 E@A E9C66 @FE @7 E92E >@G65 @?]”k^Am
kAm%96 %FCE=6 #246D 6IA2?565 E@ :?4=F56 2 9F>2? dz 2?5 2EEC24E65 =@42= 3=F68C2DD 32?5D 7@C 25565 6?E6CE2:?>6?E]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 6G6?E H2D 2 9F86 DF446DD 7@C >2?J J62CD[ 6G6?EF2==J :E =@DE >@>6?EF>]k^Am
kAm“(6 BF:E 5@:?8 :E 2 76H J62CD 28@ 3642FD6 :E 3642>6 92C5 E@ C2:D6 E96 >@?6J[” s62? D2:5] “*@F’5 5@ 2== E9:D H@C< E@ @C82?:K6 2?5 C62==J 4@F=5?’E >2<6 >@?6J @? :E E96 =2DE 76H J62CD :E H2D 96=5]”k^Am
kAms62? 2=H2JD 9@A65 E96 2??F2= H66<=@?8 $F?u6DE 46=63C2E:@? >:89E 255 :E E@ :ED D4965F=6 @C D@>6@?6 H@F=5 42CCJ :E @? 3FE E96 >6>@C:6D DE:== =:?86C]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D D:>A=6[” s62? D2:5] “qFE :E DFC6 H2D 7F? H9:=6 :E =2DE65]”k^Am
