THOMASVILLE – Slices of pizza and pageant contestants aren’t usually thought of together, but they were both at the annual Everybody’s Day festival downtown Saturday.

Supporters of the Miss Thomasville & Central Carolina Pageants organization staffed a booth in the food court section of the festival next to the railroad tracks. They were selling pizza in what traditionally represents one of the best single fundraisers each year for the nonprofit group.

“It’s huge for us,” said Nile Goad, co-executive director of Miss Thomasville & Central Carolina Pageants.

Everybody’s Day, which traditionally draws 80,000 visitors, represents one of the critical fundraisers each year for the pageant organization, said Goad and festival volunteer Tammy Murphy.

Everybody’s Day, which this weekend marked its 101st year taking place on the last Saturday of September, offers families and other visitors a chance to have an enjoyable, relaxing time along several blocks of city streets closed to traffic for the event.

Children can enjoy carnival rides and games, while music-lovers can take in sounds from country and gospel to beach music and bluegrass.

But for local churches and nonprofit groups, Everybody’s Day also provides a chance to make people aware of their services and contributions to the community while raising money. The current economy that has sapped Davidson County highlights the importance of events such as Everybody’s Day, which provides an avenue for fundraising.

Thomasville Friends Church members sat at a booth hoping to raise money for their mission activities Saturday.

“It’s also a great way to network with people,” said Janice Spainhour, a member of the 30-year-old Quaker sanctuary.

pjohnson@hpe.com | 888-3528