Thank you for supporting pageant

To the editor:
I would like to thank the many businesses and organizations of Jay County for their support of this year’s Miss Jay County Fair Queen Pageant.
Thank you to Jay County Fair Board for its support and to Portland Breakfast Optimist Club for the financial and moral support.
This is the 41st year that the Breakfast Optimist Club has sponsored the Miss Jay County Fair Queen Pageant. We dedicated the pageant this year in memory of two Breakfast Optimist members and queen committee members, Ralph Grapner and Judy Williamson.
A big thank you goes out to the pageant committee, and to our coach and mentor, Tina Schwieterman Easton, 1986 Miss Jay County Fair Queen and Miss Indiana State Fair Queen. Our thanks to Jay School Corporation, Jay County High School and personnel, especially Carol Gebert and custodians, for assistance as we used the high school auditorium and facilities for the pageant again this year.
Thank you to The Commercial Review, Rob Weaver, WPGW and Adams County Memorial Hospital for advertising and coverage of the pageant.
We appreciate the following facilities for their assistance in providing meeting places and resources: Jay County Public Library, Trinity United Methodist Church, Asbury United Methodist Church and Richard’s Restaurant. We thank Charlie Rohrer, Lori Reece and the drama students for helping with the sound and lights for the pageant at the high school.
Thank you to Portana Travel, Spencer Apartments, Poet Biorefining and an anonymous donor for purchasing the jewelry from J&P Plating for each contestant. First Bank of Berne sponsored the crown, B&G Pools and Spas purchased the sashes made at Patriot Sportswear and Embroidery, and Scott Benter at Edward Jones and Poet Biorefining bought the trophies. Reni’s Heaven Scent, The Flower Nook and Cook’s Nursery donated flowers and plants. Photography by Debi Gillespie, and videotaping by Lori Reece will provide lasting memories for our 2016 participants.
Thank you to Display Craft for helping with the signs for the parades and for donating the signs for the queen.
I would encourage the community to support our local businesses that participated in this year’s pageant including the 78 advertisers who made the program and other pageant expenses affordable. Sponsors for the contestants this year were: The Flower Nook, Joni Linville of Farm Bureau Insurance, First Merchants Bank, The Greazy Pickle, Country Creek Primitives, Jay County FFA, Loy Real Estate and Auctioneering, and the Koffee Kup Diner.
Thank you to the community for supporting this year’s pageant by attending the pageant June 26. Our appreciation to Breakfast Optimist member Aaron Kuhn, for acting as the master of ceremonies this year.
Finally, many thanks to the 2015 queen and court and their families for their assistance, and to the parents/families of this year’s candidates for their support.
The seven candidates this year were especially caring, patient and gracious. The contestants were respectful to our pageant committee and worked hard for three weeks in preparation for the pageant.
Sincerely,
Julie K. Hunt
Event chairperson
Portland Breakfast Optimist Club