Crystal Lake to hold pageant on March 29

Six Crystal Lake girls have been busy preparing since mid-January for the 2008 Miss Crystal Lake Pageant. The Pageant finale will be at 5:30 p.m. March 29 at the Crystal Lake Business Expo at Crystal Lake South High School auditorium.

The public is invited to attend the pageant.

The focus of the pageant is not beauty, but a well-rounded individual interested in representing her community.

In addition to being crowned Miss Crystal Lake, she will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

The Miss Crystal Lake Pageant is presented by the Crystal Lake Park District and The Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce. Expo attendees will have the opportunity to meet the Miss Crystal Lake contestants throughout the day at the Business Expo as well as view contestant photos at the entryway and vote for "Miss Photogenic."

The process leading up to the pageant is designed to provide the contestants with valuable communication and speaking skills and knowledge about local business. They will be formally introduced to the business community and area leaders at a Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce mixer.

During pageant preparations, the contestants get involved in community service, and are trained in speaking and presentation skills.

The evening of the pageant, the contestants will participate in evening gown and business attire presentations. They will be interviewed by the pageant judges, and give a presentation on their business sponsor.

The interview and presentation are weighted most heavily in the judging process.

Miss Crystal Lake 2007, Shannon McCarty, will present the crown to this year's winner and Michael Zellman will serve as the evening's master of ceremonies.

Admission to the Miss Crystal Lake Pageant is $5. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

For more information, call the Crystal Lake Park District at (815) 459-0680.

Pageant contestants and their sponsors are:

• Rachel Kentor is sponsored by McHenry County Woman newspaper. Kentor is a senior at Crystal Lake Central High School and works part-time as a nanny. At school she is the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, as well as a member of the Science Olympiad team, the National Honors Society, A Cappella Choir and the French Club. Kentor's future career plans are to start a clinic for the deaf and hard-of-hearing that helps mixed hearing and non-hearing families learn to communicate. She would like to be Miss Crystal Lake to show girls in the community that you don't need to have a cookie-cutter shape body and magazine looks to be a successful young woman and that intelligence and a motivating drive will take you much farther.

• Candace Kilgore is sponsored by Sky-High Volleyball. Kilgore is a second year student at McHenry County College and works at Abercrombie and Fitch as a sales associate. She plays on the women's volleyball team at school. Kilgore's future career plans are to graduate in Visual Communications and pursue a job in magazine design. She would like to be Miss Crystal Lake in order to have the chance to impact the lives of the children of Crystal Lake as a positive role model.

• Jenni Meador is sponsored by Jamba Juice. Meador is a Junior at Prairie Ridge High School and works part-time at Jamba Juice, blending smoothies and chatting with customers. At Prairie Ridge she is involved in theater, choir and German National Honor Society. Meador's future career plans are to attain her theater arts degree and act professionally. She would like to be Miss Crystal Lake to become more involved in the community as well as to encourage girls to have fun and take chances.

• Victoria Orzech is sponsored by International House of Pancakes (IHOP). Orzech is a Junior at Crystal Lake Central High School and is employed at Chuck E. Cheese in Crystal Lake. At Crystal Lake Central she is involved in cheerleading, newspaper, Who's Who Among High School Students, Congressional Leadership Society, National American Miss Organization and National Honor Roll. Orzech's future career plans are to major in advertising or media studies and later, study nursing. She would like to be Miss Crystal Lake because she believes that it would be a great learning experience and a chance to be a positive role model for local girls.

• Brittany Simpson is sponsored by Cosmetology and Spa Institute (CSI). Simpson is a first-year student at McHenry County College and works at the Crystal Lake Park District as a dance instructor and also at the McHenry County College bookstore. She likes to teach dance, swim, read and play board games. Simpson's future career plans are to pursue a career involving art and/or design. She would like to be Miss Crystal Lake so that she can meet new people from a variety of circumstances, and she looks at this pageant as a chance to grow as a person.

• Lauren Louise Tuit is sponsored by Home State Bank. She is a junior at Crystal Lake South High School and works at The Great American Bagel. At Crystal Lake South she is involved in The Adventure Crew. Tuit's future career plans are to go to college and study forensic science. She would like to be Miss Crystal Lake because it would be an honor to hold that title.

For more information, call Pageant Coordinator Brenda Adams at (815) 459-0680, ext. 218.