Covering Selma’s Labor Day activities was hard work, but it was well worth spending hours in the hot sun to see hundreds of people enjoy the return of the Alabama River Raft Race and the debut of the amphitheater with the Riverfront Park Music and Arts Festival.

It might not seem like much fun to work on Labor Day, but seeing the smiles on people’s faces Monday as teams paddled their boats from the train trestle to the city marina and seeing people tapping their toes and dancing to the music at the Blackbelt Benefit Group’s festival, was certainly worth working on a day that is meant to give people a break from work. It is events like these that make being a member of the media truly worth it. It isn’t every day that you get to see a car float on top of water or the Selma Fire Department grilling and serving up hotdogs as they float down the river.

The Blackbelt Benefit Group and the others that helped put these two events on deserve a big round of applause for their effort to bring events like these to Selma. It is the efforts of groups like the Blackbelt Benefit Group and other non-profit organizations that strive toward making Selma a great place to live and work.

We look forward to seeing next year’s raft race and what designs teams will come up with, and we can’t wait to see more concerts come to the newly opened riverfront amphitheater.