MONTGOMERY – When Anna Stanley snapped a photo of her 1-year-old daughter, Avery, with the Good Shepherd Statue, a roadside attraction in the north Tuscaloosa County community of Samantha, she planned to submit the photo into the inaugural Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association’s Road Trip Photo Contest.
Stanley also had another motive: She wanted to raise awareness about The Little Closet Community Food Pantry, which was created in honor of Johnny Williamson, Avery’s great-grandfather and the creator of the Good Shepherd statue in 1999.
The Good Shepherd statue was erected to represent the 23rd Psalm, which was Johnny Williamson’s mother’s favorite biblical scripture. The 6½-foot statue was made by artist Willie Logan.
“People call it the Jesus statue, but it’s really the Good Shepherd Statue,” said Stanley, a Hartselle resident. “I don’t think people really know about the food bank. They do a lot of good work, and I wanted to get the word out.
“A lot of people drive by and see the statue, but they don’t know the history of it or about Mr. Williamson. He was a good man.”
The photo clearly resonated with online voters, and Stanley’s photo of Avery with the Good Shepherd Statue won the ALBBAA’s 2024 Road Trip Photo Contest.
ALBBAA awarded prizes for first, second, and third place:
- First place: Anna Stanley
- Second place: Tricia Griffin
- Third place: Chelsea Gibbs
Stanley won a two-night stay for up to four people in one of the beautiful Lakepoint State Park cottages in Eufaula donated by Alabama State Parks. Included is $150 for travel expenses awarded by ALBBAA. This first-place award met all the criteria in the contest rules, which stated people are to be present in the photo.
Griffin, a Franklin resident, was second. Although her photo garnered the most votes, it did not include a person. A two-night stay for up to four people in a lakeside cottage at Lakepoint State Park is also being awarded to Griffin, compliments of ALBBAA.
“After careful consideration, we didn’t want to exclude the gorgeous landscape photos submitted, like the one entered by Tricia Griffin,” said ALBBAA Director Pam Swanner. “Those images show the Black Belt’s incredible natural scenery that is a huge part of why visitors love traveling our scenic back roads. By the same token, we also wanted to reward Anna for adhering to our rules. That’s why we believe it’s the right thing to do by giving similar prizes to our top two vote-getters.”
Griffin’s photo showcases a gorgeous sunset at Miller’s Ferry in Wilcox County.
“I take photos pretty much every day,” said Griffin, who travels regularly throughout the Black Belt while working for Alabama Power. “If I see something that is pretty, I’ll stop and get a picture.”
She said the sunset picture looked peaceful. “That’s what I feel every time I’m on the water,” she said, “whether it’s in a boat or just sitting there looking at it.”
Marengo County’s Gibbs, as the third-place finisher, receives ALBBAA-themed merchandise.
Swanner thanked everyone who submitted photos and voted in the contest.
“We designed the Road Trip Photo Contest to showcase the incredible attractions and activities that draw people to Alabama’s Black Belt,” Swanner said. “People travel to the region for our amazing hunting and fishing, as well as cultural and historical sites, our artisans and makers and incredible dining spots.
“It was wonderful to see the photos showing a wide range of ways people enjoyed the Black Belt this summer.”
The 23-county Black Belt includes Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Wilcox counties.
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