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Six young women from Belleville
are vying this week to become the
queen of the 40th Annual National
StrawberryFestival.
It's a lot more than just a pageant,
however. The Queen Pageant has long
been a major part of the annual festi-
val which is celebrated throughout the
community.
Originally the Strawberry Queen
Pageant took place on St. Anthony's
Catholic Church grounds under the
direction of 24-year coordinator and
volunteer organizerDianeFerguson.
The Queen Pageant moved to
Belleville High School Auditorium in
1982 andHazel Bighamwasmistress of
ceremonies and continued in that posi-
tion until 1992. In 1993 and 1994,
Martha Piney took over those responsi-
bilities and then in 1995 and 1996 for-
mer Strawberry Queens Veronica
Watson and Angela Myers co-hosted
the event. In 1997, former Queens
Mitzie Herkimer and Shannon Tarris
were the co-hosts. In 1998, Angela
Myers, the 1993 Queen, and Andrea
Brown, the 1994 Queen, co-hosted the
event. Angela Myers Kerner became
the Pageant Coordinator in 1999
through 2006.
In 2007 through 2009 Jennifer
Leonard was the pageant coordinator.
In 2010 through 2014 there was no
Belleville Strawberry Queen Pageant
because of funding. The Belleville
Strawberry Queen Pageant was
brought back in 2015 and Joyce
Rochowiak of Garden Fantasy has
been the pageant coordinator since
thenwithother volunteers.
The women hoping to take home
the honor, and the scholarship money
this year, are all residents of the
Belleville area, single and between the
ages of 16 and 20. The Strawberry
Queen will take home a $1,000 scholar-
ship, trophy and assorted gifts that
accompany the title. The second and
third place runners up will each
receive a $500 scholarship and gifts
donatedby localmerchants.
The contestants will each partici-
pate in a dance performance by the
group, perform an individual talent,
appear in evening wear and answer
questions presented to them by the
pageantmoderator.
The queen will be selected during
the pageant which is planned for 7:30
p.m. Friday, June 17 at the Belleville
High School auditorium on West
Columbia.
The contestants this year including
sisters, all of whom will be seen in the
parade Saturday, include, in alphabeti-
cal order:
Evelyn Gitzen
, 17, of Westland. She is
the daughter of Tom and Jen Gitzen
and is currently a student at Belleville
High School. Her creative talent in the
pageant is singing and she is amember
of the choir at school. She said that
music is a special interest and she is
planning a career as ahair stylist.
The queen will be
selected during the pageant
which is planned for
7:30 p.m. Friday, June 17
at the Belleville
High School auditorium
on West Columbia.
”
Strawberry delight
Annual queen pageant will choose festival royalty, award scholarships
See
Queen,
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