The annual Strawberry Queen pageant on Saturday will select five girls to represent the festival and Plant City. The new royals will soon be shepherding in the Strawberry Festival and immersing themselves in the community.
The 83rd annual Strawberry Festival wouldn’t be complete without its famed Strawberry Queen Scholarship Pageant.
This year, 29 girls will compete at the Charlie Grimes Family Agricultural Center Saturday night for a chance to wear the crown. A queen and four court members will be chosen, lives forever changed after joining the strawberry family.
Donna Keel, chairman of the Strawberry Queen committee has been involved in pageants for more than 25 years. This is her fifth year at the helm of the coveted pageant. She and her co-chair Di Lott take the new royals under their wing following the coronation and shepherd them through the upcoming whirlwind of a year.
“It’s a great experience,” Keel said. “Girls that go out for this pageant, I truly believe they leave better and I know I leave better. When they leave me I am truly more blessed. They’ve blessed my life way more than I’ve probably blessed theirs.”
Gail Lyons has worked around the clock for years to make the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Scholarship Pageant a success. She pours hours into taking the candidates and molding them into young women who are prepared to take on the responsibility of the crown.
Though it resembles traditional pageants, the Strawberry Queen pageant is more than a stereotypical beauty contest. The contestants are judged on personal interview, personality, beauty and poise. However, their heart for the community is ultimately what shines through.
When they are crowned Saturday they will hit the ground running with pre-festival events. They will participate in everything from Wish Farms’ picking challenge to appearances on radio and television. Promoting their festival quickly becomes their top priority.
After the last strawberry shortcake has been eaten and the massive crowds slowly dissipate back to their homes, the work for the new queen and court truly begins. The five girls are immersed in the community, helping rally Plant City to a variety of causes and events.
“The work begins after the festival,” Keel said. “When there’s no more cameras around, you’re still recognized by everyone in Plant City, but the microphones are out of your face, the cameras are gone. But the Relay for Life people are calling because they need you there to help promote raising money to fight cancer. Red Ribbon Week at these local elementary schools need you to come and help with some of their kids … when it comes time to giving back, you really see what these girls are made of.”
Keel said she has never been disappointed in her five years getting to know the girls. Each year, the girls selected have poured their hearts into Plant City. She said all of the candidates know what will be expected of them if they obtain the crown. After working with Lyons they are prepared to be a shining example for all those who look up to them.
After all, “every little girl wants to be a Strawberry Queen.”
Keel said just this week Marlee Arn, the first maid for the 2017 Strawberry Queen’s court, was at a
church fair when she was approached by an advisor. A little girl had recognized Arn and was beside herself with excitement. Arn soon had the little girl in her arms, offering a smile, encouraging words and a picture for her young fan.
The girls are a staple in Plant City, a rallying force the town adores. At the end of the day, Keel said the girls will know what it means to serve their town. In her opinion, the only way to learn to lead is to serve.
“They have a year to look forward to two strawberry moms that will absolutely love them, do the very best they can for them and help them to become the very best person they can be,” Keel said. “They will develop relationships and experience things they would not probably have ever gotten to experience.”
