COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WTVF) — If you've attended, you know Mule Day is not just a *day.* It's an entire week of celebrations. It's festivals, shows, markets, contests, and of course, the big downtown parade on Saturday featuring the Mule Day Queen. 2024 is going to be a historic Mule Day.
"So, on Mule Day, we celebrate one of God's greatest creations, the mule," smiled 2024 Mule Day Queen Anissa Grimes. "To have this is every little girl's dream."
Anissa is a nurse's assistant at Maury Regional Medical Center. There's a reason this work speaks to her so much.
"My father passed from brain cancer about two years ago, stage four neuroblastoma," she said.
Helping people is Anissa's purpose.
"I'm studying to become a surgical technologist," she explained.
Through social media posts, Anissa heard the story of Carly McGee. At 18, Carly was diagnosed with cancer and has gone through 12 cycles of chemo, six weeks of radiation, and surgery to remove two tumors all by her 20th birthday.
Anissa decided this Mule Day was going to need a second crown.
"They are not matching," Anissa said of her crown and the one for Carly. "They're very similar, but I wanted to do something that really stood out for hers that could be recognizable cause she's the honorary Mule Day Queen! The very first! I'm so excited! I wanted to share this experience with someone else."
"I was so shocked!" Carly said. "I didn't know what to say!"
Carly said 'yes' to also wearing a crown, and riding in the Mule Day Parade.
"So, you're going to St. Jude tomorrow for scans?" Anissa asked Carly as the two of them sat on a bench in downtown Columbia. "I got a good feeling. I got a good feeling for ya."
Mule Day celebrations run now through Sunday.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
