Lauren Alaina visits City of Refuge

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Entertainer Lauren Alaina holds Jasmin McKee, 2, as Alaina sings “This Little Light of Mine” with a group of children at the City of Refuge Thursday. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen

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September 28, 2012

Lauren Alaina visits City of Refuge

Rachel Brown rachelbrown@daltoncitizen.com The Dalton Daily Citizen Fri Sep 28, 2012, 09:04 AM EDT

Lizett Porras could hardly contain her excitement about meeting Lauren Alaina, a country music singer and former “American Idol” runner-up.

“It’s really nice and generous of her to come here to help,” the 15-year-old said. “I told her it’s an honor to me (to meet her).”

Alaina, who turns 18 in November, visited one-on-one with dozens of tots, teens and adults at City of Refuge and from Family Promise of Whitfield County Thursday afternoon as an extension of a fundraiser concert she’ll perform in Dalton on Friday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. at the trade center. The concert is in partnership with the Dalton Half Marathon on Oct. 6.

Race co-director David Sanders said the half marathon, along with a 5K and 2K, raised $30,000 for the two charity organizations last year. He hopes the events will raise $50,000 this year.

Alaina said she’s had a heart for the homeless and for people down on their luck since she met a homeless man she became friends with when she was 9.

“I’ve never passed a homeless person on the road and not given them money,” she said.

Alaina spoke to the news media for about 15 minutes before meeting with some of the people her fundraiser concert will help serve. She talked about her new 18-city tour to promote her current single “Eighteen Inches.” Country artist Carrie Underwood wrote the song, but Alaina said that she too — like anyone else — can relate to the theme about a young couple in love and committed to making their relationship work despite life’s problems.

Alaina hails from Rossville and was enrolled at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School before the American Idol tour took her away from home. She said Thursday she tried to return to the classroom but discovered the transition was hard after being away since partway through her sophomore year. Moving from the adult world back to high school was difficult.

“I’m not used to sitting in a classroom anymore,” she said. “When I went back, it was like a shock to me.”

Alaina said she, like any other 15-year-old, was still trying to find herself when she began a journey that would eventually lead her to become runner-up behind country crooner Scotty McCreery on the hit television show “American Idol.”

“I just had to find myself on national television,” she said.

She was working at a local pizza parlor with plans to become a special education teacher if her music career didn’t work out.

Alaina said she loves kids. At City of Refuge, which offers a variety of services for people who are homeless or suffering financially, Alaina talked, sang and had her picture taken with dozens of children, including some who volunteer there.

Olivia Mitchell got the birthday present of having her picture with Alaina on the same day she turned 8. Alaina held and played with 3-year-old Breezy Carter, whose mother Beverly Gibson said Family Promise helped her go from being homeless to obtaining a job, her own apartment and her own car. Family Promise partners with several local churches to sponsor families for a week as well as provide a day center where families can get services.

“Eventually, they got me back on my feet,” Gibson said. “This is a great thing that (Alaina) is doing, and Family Promise, and everyone else.”

To register for the race, visit active.com or daltonredcarpethalfmarathon.com. Tickets to the concert can be purchased at the trade center or by visiting nwgtcc.com. Tickets to Alaina’s concert are $15 or $10 for registered half marathon and 5K runners.

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Lauren Alaina visits City of Refuge

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