Prayer and Patriotism Service at Looney's this Sunday

LAKESHORE - The annual Prayer and Patriotism Service at  Looney’s indoor theater will be held this Sunday night, June 29, beginning at 7 p.m., according to J.D. Snoddy, president of the Winston County Arts Council, which owns the Looney’s Complex.

“We make it the Sunday night before (July 4).  That way we don’t interfere with anyone else’s Fourth of July celebrations,” Snoddy pointed out.

The public is invited to gather free of charge inside the Looney’s indoor theater, where prayers will be conducted by representatives of different church congregations, as well as patriotic and spiritual songs performed live, Snoddy continued.

These performances will include a choir from Houston Baptist Church and various individuals from throughout the area, Snoddy said.

After the music, the public is invited to go outside to watch the fireworks show which is being planned either in the large parking lot or at the nearby amphitheater.

“You’ll be able to see it anywhere in the place,” he noted.

The Looney’s Prayer and Patriotism service dates back to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, resulting in the country becoming more unified in prayer, organizers said.

“The first (prayer and patriotism service) was the Sunday night after September 11,” Snoddy noted.

The prayer and patriotism service became an annual event, celebrating not only the nation’s independence but also giving tribute to veterans, Snoddy explained.

“We think about our veterans, our law enforcement, our firefighters, our first responders, nurses, EMTs, different people like that, who are heroes to all of us,” Snoddy explained.

“The first person you see when you go to an emergency room is a nurse,” Snoddy reminded. “They take your blood pressure and check you out before a doctor ever comes in, so they are on the front line also.

“We recognize the military from our county who have lost their lives,” Snoddy continued.

Plans are for various veterans, who have also been in law enforcement, to speak at the event, according to Snoddy.

The fireworks show will be conducted by the Central Fire Department.

“It’s just a great night to celebrate the Lord and our country all together,” Snoddy emphasized. “It’s a wide variety of everything for us to just appreciate our country and the freedoms we have.”