Prayer breakfast to feature youth, not speeches

The 2013 Fulton Mayor's Prayer Breakfast will follow a slightly different format than past events.

Mayor LeRoy Benton has elected to make the theme of this year's event Youth in Our Community, and rather than the usual guest speaker, has invited Fulton High School's Chamber Singers to perform as the main event.

"I was just trying to change it up a little bit so it's not the same thing all the time," Benton said of his decision, noting that he has long been a fan of the high school's premier choir. "I always really enjoy the Chamber Singers, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to expose them to the community.

"Any time you can showcase our youth and encourage them, that's kind of what I'm after."

The 2013 prayer breakfast is to be held at 6:30 a.m. on April 18 at the Callaway Senior Center in Fulton. Tickets are $15 each and are available at Fulton City Hall, the Callaway Senior Center or at the Kingdom of Callaway Chamber of Commerce. All proceeds will benefit the senior center.

Aside from replacing the guest speaker with a featured musical performance, Benton said the breakfast will be much like it has always been.

"We'll still have plenty of food for thought with the prayers and readings," he said.

With the district music festival coming up this weekend, FHS choral instructor Ryan Hampton said he has not yet put a lot of planning into the Prayer Breakfast performance, but he said it likely will feature "some pretty traditional spiritual style songs," including "Lead Me Home."

Hampton said he was more than happy to accept Mayor Benton's invitation to perform.

"This is my first year here, so I'm trying to get exposure for all our choirs," Hampton said. "I'm trying to show the kids that if you work hard you'll have opportunities to perform outside of school and have experiences other students don't get to have."

Benton said he would encourage local residents to attend the breakfast and hear the Chamber Singers.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.