Rhody royalty place their hands in cement for posterity

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, May 12, 2015

In the photo at right (click on image to enlarge) . . .

Rhododendron Queen Sam Smith, second from left, is flanked by Princesses Lillian Kelly, far left, Morgan Chaffee and Deidra Morris, right, as they lift their hands from the wet cement used to record their royal handprints Monday.

The handprint impressions by Rhody royalty are a tradition of the weeklong Rhododendron Festival, the 80th edition of which began last Friday and includes the Grand Parade this coming Saturday.

Recently, the cement impressions have been stored in garages, but current plans are to find a permanent home for more than 10 years’ worth of them at Fort Worden State Park.

For a rundown on Rhododendron Festival events, click here: http://www.rhodyfestival.org.