UCB presents 13th annual Banker's Hour
By JARED PUTNAM Union Sentinel Editor

Sentinel photo/Jared Putnam The show boasted strong vocals.

Over 6,000 people filled the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds' Anderson Music Hall last Sunday to watch United Community Bank's annual Banker's Hour performances.

The show features a variety of Country and Gospel musical performances as well as humor that often focuses on marriage, aging, and life in the south in general.

"Folks who didn't see it missed a great show Saturday night," Event Coordinator Gail Day said. "They do a phenomenal job." Day said that people are always very surprised to hear that the cast only has one rehearsal session before the show. "We go through it one time and the second time we do it is [the 2:00 show.]

The 2007 cast was composed of 26 individuals from various United Community Bank branches. Numerous volunteers helped backstage in the production of the entertainment. Additionally, three local soldiers; Nathan Gladdin, Gordon Spears, and Bill Curlee, participated in the show.

UCB CEO Jimmy Tallent and bank employee Sonya Freeman began the night by presenting Day with a special collage of Banker's Hour moments. "It was very, very sweet," Day said.

The cast put on two performances on the day, a 2:00 p.m. show and another at 8:00 p.m. The 2:00 p.m. show was standing room only.

It remains a noticeable jump for an event that once featured only one performance, held in what is now Tastingers Flooring in Hiawassee, a much smaller building.

Over the years the event itself has also evolved. It originally began as a Grand Old Opry rendition, then developed into a Hee-Haw parody, and as The Bankers Hour, now exists as something more personalized to the bank. The event requires significant work from everyone involved, taking about six months to put together.

While there is no charge for admission, event organizers encourage those in attendance to make a donation to charity. Each year the Banker's Hour raises thousands of dollars for various charities.