Thursday was my 20th year to be the announcer at the Battle of Flowers Band Festival in San Antonio. It's part of Fiesta Week and one of the bigger events of that week. It's a long story as to how I got there but I'll make it short. My father, George Wood, announced the Festival for 20 years starting in 1969. When he died in January of 1990 I was asked to take over. It made sense because I was on morning radio in the San Antonio market and fairly well known, although not as well known as Dad who had spent years on television in that market.
So here we are 20 years later and I have matched the 20 years that my Dad did the show. I also love the fact that in the 71 years of the band festival a member of my family has announced the show for 40 of those years.
It is really something I look forward to doing every year. It's also something that I still do to honor my father. I feel that this is something that was important to him that I keep doing as long as they will have me and every year I do it and every year I get better at it that is one step closer to doing it as well as he did it (and he was really damned good).
One thing I didn't tell you. Before he died my Dad called the producer of the festival that year and asked that I be allowed to host. He is really the person that got me the deal in the first place. That's why I say that it was important to him that I host the show...it was one of his last wishes.
Hopefully I'll be around to do another 20 more but when I'm ready to leave the show or when I'm ready to leave the earth there is another Wood in the wings waiting to host...and she would be the first Female to do it. Yes Amanda has already expressed interest. Way to follow in the old man's footsteps, it would be my honor.
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