Catfish Kissing Contest Set For Saturday

ROME, GA -- Lip-smacking fun will ensue on Saturday when the fish hit the fryers at the CRBI-WLAQ -95.7 The Ridge Fish Fry.

In addition to serving up some 900 plates of lip-smacking catfish, cole slaw, cheese grits and hushpuppies, Coosa River Basin Initiative volunteers will also see four Catfish Kissin’ contestants smack lips with a live Coosa River catfish.

Additionally, one lucky supporter will walk away with a new kayak at the river protection group’s 15th annual fry.

Doors open at 11 a.m. at Rome First United Methodist Church; meals will be served until 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 each or $7 for small fries and may be purchased at the door. The Catfish Kissin’ Contest, featuring 13 local celebrities culminates at 2 p.m. with the top three fundraisers kissing the fish. The contestant that raises the least money — the bottom feeder — also must kiss the catfish.

Donations to individual kissers can be made at www.coosa.org. Donors contributing $20 or more receive five raffle tickets to win a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 kayak from Cedar Creek Park RV & Outdoor Center. Donors contributing $35 or more get raffle tickets and a year’s membership in CRBI. The winner of the kayak will be announced after the kissing. Donors need not be present to win.

Catfish Kissin’ contestants include Lillian Shaw, Thom Holt, Collin Doss, Eliot Rutledge, Sam Burnham, Severo Avila, Amanda Isom, Brandon Ball, Jan Fergerson, Bryan Mullins, Seth Turner, Jessica Carrier and Anna Elaine McCauley.

So far, these contestants have raised more than $2,500 for CRBI river protection projects.

CRBI is a 501c3 non-profit organization with the mission of informing and empowering citizens to protect, preserve and restore North America’s most biologically unique river basin.

For more information, contact Shira Kerce at 706-232-2724 or skerce@coosa.org.

Image via CRBI