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Page 8B The Braselton News Wednesday, November 28, 2007 PETS READY FOR CHRISTMAS Two pets honored in last year’s Christmas pet photo contest are shown. The Braselton News is accepting pet photos for this year’s contest. Newspaper offers pet photo contest Attention animal lovers — do your pets enjoy the holiday season as much as their owners? If so, we have a photo contest just for them. The Braselton News will hold a Christmas pet photo contest, spon sored by Chateau Animal Hospital, located at 2095 Ga. Hwy. 211, Suite 2A, Braselton. We’re looking for the cutest, wackiest and strangest photos of readers’ pets dressed or placed in a holiday theme. Be it a cockatiel in a Christmas tree or a mastiff under the mistletoe, we want to see your pet at its holiday best. Judges from The Braselton News and Chateau Animal Hospital will choose three winners to print in the Dec. 26 issue of The Braselton News. Chateau Animal Hospital will provide the prizes, with the first- place winner receiving a $75 gift certificate, the second-place win ner receiving a $50 gift certificate and the third-place winner receiv ing a $25 gift certificate. RULES OF ENTRY •Photos may be e-mailed to news@mainstreetnews.com and must contain the subject line, “Pet Photo Contest.” Submitting photos by e-mail is highly preferred. •Photos may also be deliv ered to The Braselton News drop box at Select Brokers in down town Braselton. Photos can also be dropped off at MainStreet Newspapers, 33 Lee Street, Jefferson. •Each entry should include the following information: Pet name, breed/species, owner name and owner’s contact information, including city of residence. •Photos of very poor quality may not be considered for the con test. Photos should be clear and in focus. •Photos must be received by Wednesday, Dec. 12, at 5 p.m. Photos will not be accepted after the deadline. •Pet owners may only submit one photo per pet and no more than two pets per owner. Pet own ers must reside in Jackson, Barrow, Hall or Gwinnett counties. PERFORMING TO PUT SMILES ON PEOPLE’S FACES Sisters Gabriella and Savannah Sims volunteer their talents to entertain the less fortunate. Sisters enjoy volunteering, performing BY KRISTI REED Sisters Savannah and Gabriella Sims enjoy making people happy. Both girls volunteer at nursing homes and homeless shelters by providing entertainment for those most in need of a little joy in their lives. Ten year old Savannah explained why she and her sister like to perform for those less for tunate. “I want to help people," ’ S avannah said. “I want to help people have smiles on their faces.” Savannah, along with 14 year old sister Gabriella, have formed their own singing and dancing group called “The Jamaica Girls.” The girls have been performing since May of 2007 and have a reper toire of about 25 songs. Gabriella sings, dances and plays the guitar while Savannah sings, dances and plays drums. Both girls are straight-A students and both plan to pursue careers in medicine. Gabriella and Savannah said volunteering gives them a chance to help people now just as a career in medicine will let them help people as adults. Gabriella, a sophomore at Flowery Branch High School, said she hopes to pursue a career in pediatrics or cardiology. “I have always wanted to be a doctor and help people,” she said. “I started thinking about how I wanted to help the community. I love to sing. I thought this would be a perfect way to help people and have fun.” Sister Savannah, a fifth grade stu dent at Spout Springs Elementary, wants to pursue a different branch of medicine. “I want to be a chiro practor because I can’t do blood,” she said. Stepfather Michael Messina said the girls’ desire to help people combined with their musical tal ents made performing an ideal way to volunteer. Messina said he has been very impressed with how quickly the girls have developed their talents. “I enjoy watching the crowd, watching the people get into [the act],” he said. “I have really enjoyed seeing them progress. Every show, they get better and better because they’re getting over their shyness.” Messina said Savannah is a natu ral performer. “She sings all the time. Day in and day out,” he said. “Gabriella is more of a quiet performer where Savannah is more of a showman. They’re both shy kids, but when they get on the stage that disap pears.” Savannah said getting over her stage fright has not been easy, but it is getting better. “It’s probably how stars feel,” she said. “I guess they probably had stage fright at first, but, as they get used to it, they have fun.” “In the first song, I always have stage fright. But, as I get to know the crowd, I get pumped up,” she added. Gabriella said she used to have stage fright, but does not any more. “I just like to hang out with everyone and to see them happy,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun.” The girls have received let ters from several organizations expressing their appreciation and enjoyment of the girls’ perfor mance. In the past six months, the girls have performed for shel ters and nursing homes, including “Just People,” a non-profit group that supports adults with develop mental disabilities; Laurel Baye Healthcare, a senior living facil ity; Dogwood Forest nursing home and the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children. Savannah said her favorite per formance was at the Children’s Restoration Network, a shelter and group home that serves approxi mately 1,900 homeless children a day. Seeing the children enjoy themselves and singing along made the show special for her. The girls have plans to perform a holiday show next month. The venue has not been set, but will most likely be a homeless shel ter. They are also planning a church performance. This week, Savannah will be performing for her music class at her school and Gabriella will be traveling to Walt Disney World with her cho rus group to perform a Christmas show at EPCOT. Though both girls have fun per forming and interacting with the crowds, they both say the most important part is helping people. “It is really cool to help people,” Savannah said. “The best part is seeing the smiles on people’s faces. Once you start doing it, you just can’t stop.” BILLY CAIN FORD MERCURY www.billycainfordmercury.com SALES SERVICE PARTS/BODY SHOP (706) 335-3105 (706) 335-3107 (706) 335-3109 °z °o 00 iu) gen o DC lL HI 000 ° 22 Tj DOI ggt ° co So sin »i7,m LU (J 2 cn Santa's $avi ngs TOP 20 DEALS SANTA IS PASSING OUT THIS CHRISTMAS!!!! 1.2003 Ford F-150 Lightning, 15K Miles $23,975 2.2000 Ford F-350 S/Crew DRW, 7.3L Diesel $19,998 3.2007 Ford F-150 S/Crew XLT, 4x4,13K Miles $27,966 4.2004 Ford F-250 S/Cab XLT, 4x4, 6.0L Diesel $23,995 5.2003 Ford F-150 S/Crew Lariat 4x4 $19,995 6.2006 Nissan Altima SE 2.5 $17,995 7.2005 Ford Freestar SEL $12,995 8.2007 Ford F-350 R/C 4x4 DRW Flatbed $32,998 9.2003 Ford Excursion E. 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