LAKE STEVENS — The participants in this pageant have one priority that rises above the rest of the competition, and it isn’t their formal wear or hair and make-up.
The annual Miss Aquafest Pageant is focused on community service. Last year, the girls who participated in the pageant tallied more than 2,300 hours total of community service. The pageant, which is a scholarship program for girls from ages 5 to 18, won its fifth Presidential Volunteer Service award.
There were food and toy drives, walks for cancer and suicide awareness, school supply collections for military families and park cleanups, among other projects.
This year’s pageant took place Saturday. The new court plans to continue the tradition of service around Lake Stevens. Last year’s queens and ambassadors are ready to help them out.
“It’s a fun way to get out and serve your community because you’re with a great group of girls and you’re just working together and having fun,” said Katie Stevens, Miss Aquafest 2016.
The 17-year-old did 205 hours of community service as her contribution to the team’s total last year. She worked at the local food bank during the summer, sorting and distributing food. That experience made her grateful for everything she has in her life, she said.
She also volunteered during Aquafest, the city’s large summer celebration. All of the pageant participants help out during the festival, from set-up through cleanup, she said. She spent much of her day making pancakes with firefighters.
Stevens also helped at a New Year’s party for people with disabilities. She did make-up and hair for the guests and then they had a dance. That was one of her favorite projects and she’d definitely do it again, she said.
“I’ve grown up doing a lot of service with my family, and it’s made me who I am today,” Stevens said. “When you help others, it makes you more grateful for what you have. It makes you thankful when people help you because you know what it takes.”
One goal of the Miss Aquafest program is to make sure the girls understand that giving a little bit of their time and talent can have a big effect on others, said Christine Egelstad, co-director of the pageant. Local nonprofits reach out seeking volunteers and pageant organizers help connect them with the girls.
Six Aquafest queens are crowned each year in different age divisions, and there’s also an overall community service queen. There also are five ambassadors and three lifetime queens to round out the court.
During the pageant itself, participants are judged on their poise, confidence and public speaking. There are interviews, a personal introduction, casual wear and formal wear sections. Judges have included local or state leaders, board presidents and representatives from community service organizations.
Throughout the year, the Miss Aquafest court is expected to do a variety of service projects.
It’s not always easy to add community service to a busy schedule. Stevens also runs track at Lake Stevens High School, plays piano and ukulele, and is active in her youth group at the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, service is rewarding and it’s worth making the time, she said. It’s what makes the Miss Aquafest program special.
“Instead of doing more pageant-like things, we’re out serving the community,” she said. “We’re not afraid to get dirty, and we really get connected with our community that way.”
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
Learn more
For more information, go to aquafest.com/miss-aquafest.
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