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Miss Wagga Velika Hayes and Community Princess Jess Barclay, were introduced by David Byfield. It has been some years since we have had Miss Wagga representatives at our club and so David took the initiative and invited our current winner of the contest to visit.
Velika and Jess spoke alternatively and gave us a comprehensive insight into the work of the Miss Wagga quest and the exciting year they have experienced.
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These two impressive young women who attended Kildare High School, spoke about the journey of discovery and growth they have experienced. They explained that the Miss Wagga quest has a twofold purpose, to give participants the opportunities for personal development and to raise funds for charities. They chose four charities including Carevan Wagga and Ronald McDonald House. Since inception, the Quest has raised an impressive sum of money for the Wagga Community.
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Velika and Jess both described Crowning Night as a highlight of their lives, very exciting and the reward for their fundraising achievements. To prepare they had engaged in training workshops on public speaking, deportment and community engagement. Their presentation to our club demonstrated how well they had absorbed all they had learned.
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Some of the fundraising highlights were: Christmas in July, a Trivia Night with 200 participants, a Long Lunch, Lawn Bowls at the RSL and a High Tea.
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Local businesses were very cooperative and Velika and Jess both thanked various organisations for their help. The young women were motivated to enter the quest by their desire to give back to the Community. They experienced the benefits of a happy family life and school and described Wagga as their forever home.
Wagga's sister city Leavenworth (Texas) played host to our Ambassadors for six days. They experienced many highlights including a Mayoral Reception, Wagga Week, a visit to Fort Leavenworth, Wagga Drive, an American High School, a Lions Club and learnt the history of Leavenworth. The year has passed quickly for these talented young women and they both believe it has equipped them well for their future. They thanked the club for the opportunity to speak and were rewarded by the full attention and applause of our members. President David thanked them on our behalf and presented each with a bottle of Wollundry Olive Oil, a fitting home grown product for two special locals. |
