Sixth annual CASA roast to honor state senator

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Special to the Reporter

Honor, though well deserved, may not be the appropriate word for what will be given to Alabama state Sen. Jabo Waggoner of Vestavia Hills now that he has agreed to be the victim of this year’s CASA Roast.

Waggoner and his wife,

Marilyn, are preparing for a fun evening of food and bulletproof vests.

With Waggoner’s three decades of public service, it is sure to make for an interesting evening, according to CASA director Beth Chapman.

&uot;Most politicians have skeletons in their closets,&uot; she said. &uot;If he does, Jabo’s are sure to come out at the roast.&uot;

The event will be held Monday, Oct. 18 at the Pelham Civic Complex.

&uot;He has plenty of friends, political allies, senatorial colleagues and even family members who will ensure that they do,&uot; she said.

The evening will begin with a silent auction at 6 p.m.

Dinner and the roast will follow.

Fellow senators are coming in from across the state to ensure that Waggoner doesn’t receive a ‘get out of jail free’ card at the roast, Chapman promised.

Sen. Larry Dixon of Montgomery, Sen. Gerald Dial of Lineville and Sen. Jack Biddle of Gardendale are among those scheduled to roast Waggoner.

And according to political insiders, the trio has served with Jabo for so long, they may end up frying instead of roasting him.

The silent auction will feature weekend getaways, golf packages, dinner packages and more.

The CASA Roast is an annual event and has produced thousands of dollars for the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Shelby County.

Individual tickets for the event are $100 each and $1,000 for a corporate sponsorship and table.

CASA is a nonprofit organization that recruits and trains volunteers to go through the court process with abused and neglected children.

For more information on CASA or the roast, please call Chapman at 243-8753