As
someone
who
indulges
in
drag
only
once
a
year,
Rick
Westbrook
is
often
surprised
by
the
generosity
of
people
who
tip
the
performers
—
and
even
more
surprised
by
the
places
those
tips
end
up.
“I
can’t
tell
you
how
many
times
I’ve
gone
to
change
into
another
outfit,
and
there’ll
be
fifties,
twenties,
hundreds
on
my
sweaty
behind,”
says
Westbrook,
who
calls
himself
the
matriarch
of
the
East
Point
Possums,
an
amateur
drag
troupe
that
hosts
a
fundraiser
in
downtown
East
Point
each
year.
The
11th
annual
East
Point
Possum
show
takes
place
June
14.
The
event
aims
to
raise
$10,000
for
Jerusalem
House,
an
assisted
living
facility
for
people
with
HIV
and
AIDS.
The
East
Point
Possums
have
come
a
long
way
since
they
were
first
conceived
at
a
backyard
Fourth
of
July
party
in
1998.
Not
long
after
Westbrook
and
his
fellow
possums
began
doing
an
annual
show
for
friends,
the
crowd
outgrew
the
backyard
and
decided
to
move
the
party
to
downtown
East
Point.
“The
first
couple
of
years
[when
seeking
a
city
permit],
I
billed
it
as
a
Shakespearean
variety
show,
because
I
just
wasn’t
sure,”
Westbrook
jokes.
Over
the
years,
the
event
became
a
bit
of
a
family
event
in
East
Point,
even
being
honored
by
the
East
Point
City
Council.
“We’re
doing
good
work
through
bad
drag,”
Westbrook
says.
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