Hey there, I’m so glad you’re here! Welcome to Sweet Tea by the AJC, a newsletter for refreshing, positive stories from around the South. Sit and stay a while. We have so much to tell you.
A MARATHON KICKBALL SESH
The Atlanta nonprofit group Men Opposing Sex Trafficking has set not one, but three Guinness World Records while raising awareness for their work. The most recent one was set on a kickball field, over a whirlwind 52 hours.
- The marathon game in Fairburn, Georgia started at 8 a.m. on a Friday and ended at noon Sunday, eclipsing the previous World Record by an hour. (Yes, there was already a record for longest kickball game. There’s a record for everything.)
- You can’t just try to break a record willy-nilly. Players had to follow strict rules: They had to stay in the park the whole time, and only took breaks to use the restroom or sleep. A camera monitored the whole thing for record-keeping.
- Air mattresses were line up near the field for naps, with the 20 people on each team rotating in five-hour shifts.
- This isn’t MOST’s first endurance sporting event. The group has also played a continuous softball game for five days, and a 121-hour basketball game.
🏆 More from the AJC: Raising awareness and money one kick at a time
IT’S FALL FESTIVAL TIME
Can you feel it, the promise of crisp air and chilly nights? Maybe not quite yet, but give it a few weeks. Fall in the South can be a little shy.
There are so many to choose from, but here are some cool national festivals popping off in the South this fall.
National Banana Pudding Festival: Centerville, TN, Oct. 4-5
National Peanut Festival: Dothan, AL, Oct. 31 - Nov. 9
National Folk Festival: Jackson, MS, Nov. 7-9
National Fried Chicken Festival: New Orleans, LA, Oct. 4-5
TELL US SOMETHING GOOD
Is there a cool event we need to know about? Something great happening in your town? Let us know. amatl@ajc.com.
SIPS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH
🏈 Sylacauga, AL: A high school football referee is being hailed a hero after performing CPR on a fellow official who collapsed on the field. More from WBRC.
📚 Little Rock, AR: The People’s Bookstore, a new radical pop-up bookselling initiative, will offer books by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People Of Color) writers at their first event. The organizers say they want to share the life-changing magic of literature. More from The Arkansas Times.
🐶 Atlanta, GA: Moving social media photos have changed the adoption game for LifeLine Animal Project, the only open intake shelter in the city. More from the AJC.
💙 Richmond, VA: Virginia’s leadership has gathered a diverse group of experts, including healthcare providers, consumer advocates and legal professionals, to improve the state’s nursing home facilities. More from WTVR.
SOUTHERN WISDOM
Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery
Make me a poster of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing that I can hold on to
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go
The late Prine, known for his moving turn of phrase, is the subject of a new book inspired by his unpublished memoirs. It’s one of seven new Southern reads for your fall reading list.
Thank you for reading to the very bottom of Sweet Tea! Join us next week by subscribing to the newsletter.🍑
About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
