PORT TOWNSEND — Four young women are vying to win crowns as royalty for the 81st annual Rhododendron Festival, which takes place May 16-21.
“This is a great group of girls,” said Brandi Hamon, festival board secretary.
“They all get along and will do a good job representing the community.”
A queen and princesses will be selected at a coronation ceremony at 6 p.m. March 12 at Chimacum High School, 91 West Valley Road.
A kickoff dinner is planned at 5 p.m. March 26 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 4907 Landes St. in Port Townsend.
“Everyone going into this expects there will be one queen and two princesses, but things could change,” Hamon said.
It is more expensive to sponsor a four-member royalty slate because extra scholarship money needs to be raised, she said.
The queen will receive a $1,500 college scholarship, while each princess will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
All the candidates are juniors and attend Port Townsend High School except for Morgan Wilford, who attends the OCEAN program.
This year’s candidates are:
■ Kayla Calhoun, 17, a member of the Culinary Club.
She is interested in cheerleading, cooking, dancing and music.
Her ideal job would be at Disneyland portraying Rosetta the fairy or Princess Anna, she said.
She plans to attend Olympic College and earn a nursing degree with a goal of working at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
■ Eryn Reierson, 16, a football and basketball cheerleader and captain of the basketball cheer squad.
Her community activities include involvement in food drives and providing low-cost child care for working parents.
She plans to attend Western Washington University and earn a teaching degree.
■ Fiona Shaffer, 16, who is involved in her school’s cheerleading and Students for Sustainability club.
Her interests include cheering, dance, reading, music, movies, shopping, cooking, DIY crafts and working on cars.
She plans to attend the University of Oregon and intends to go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints and get married in an LDS temple.
■ Morgan, 17, who is interested in photography and poetry.
Her ideal job would be to be a photographer for National Geographic.
She enjoys attending games, dances and concerts.
After high school, she plans to travel for a year before attending college, where she will pursue a career as a dentist.
Prior to the coronation ceremony, the four candidates will answer questions at six service club meetings.
Each candidate also is required to sell $700 worth of Rhody pins at either the $5 booster level or the $10 patron level.
“A lot of girls that age are shy,” Hamon said.
“Selling the pins forces them to interact with people.”
Each candidate will have a pin board in 16 local businesses, with pins purchased counting toward the required total.
The royal court will serve for one year, from the 2016 festival to the 2017 festival.
During that time, members of the court will appear in parades around the state and perform other community functions.
For answers to questions regarding candidates and royalty, call 360-821-1041 or write isa.pink.brandi@gmail.com.
For more information, visit www.rhodyfestival.org.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
