WTOC (Savannah, Georgia) 04 March 08 Claxton Readies For Roundup (Dal Cannady)

Claxton, GA: Months of preparation in Evans County come down to this weekend. Starting Friday, the community will host thousands of visitors for the 41st annual Rattlesnake Roundup.

Keith Barnard knows who the stars are in Claxton as he hooks a eastern diamondback rattlesnake. The Evans County Wildlife Club started its roundup 41 years ago when a friend Keith's age was bitten by that species of snake.

"It was to control the population of snakes and it has evolved over 40 years to be a beauty queen thing, a parade thing," Keith said with a laugh.

And a popular thing too. The crowds at the parade and the crowds that pack the Wildlife Club's grounds often double Evans County's population for the day.

"Our businesses profit, our hotels are full for the weekend. It's a huge event and has a huge economic impact on our community," explained Tammi Hall, executive director of the Claxton-Evans County Chamber of Commerce.

Organizers hope those crowds who come to town for the roundup find at least one thing that brings them back again and again.

The day features entertainment, arts and crafts and education. Snake hunters bring the reptiles that are later used for medical research. Their venom goes for snakebite antidotes. The Wildlife Club donates the Roundup proceeds back to the community through dozens of charities and causes. In the meantime, everyone has a good time.

"This will be our 41st and we always have a big time in Evans County," Barnard noted. "I know when I was a young fella, I always looked forward to Rattlesnake Roundup weekend."

They kick things off Saturday morning with the parade at 10am. The festival gates open right after that. If you can't make it in person, join me, Sonny Dixon and Tammi Hall. We'll host the parade live on WTOC and on wtoc.com.

For more information, visit the 2008 Claxton Rattlesnake Roundup page (http://www.wtoc.com/Global/story.asp?S=7825597).
Claxton Readies For Roundup

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