This season’s annual Miss Kane County Pageant was held on the evening of August 7, under the banner of “Hollywood Glam” as a “Celebration of 100 Years of Utah Films” coinciding with Kanab’s entry into attracting motion picture productions through the Herculean efforts of the three-tour bus operating Parry brothers: Gronway, Caleb and Chauncey.
Here are your 2024 Miss Kane County Teen and Princess Pageant’s Royal Court members (left-to-right): out-going 2023 Queen Shelby Springall, Second Attendant Teen Beka Rogers, First Attendant Teen Sheridyn Hoyt, Miss Kane County Teen Kaylee Brinkerhoff, Miss Kane County Princess Ellarie Sloan, First attendant Princess Liza Rogers, Second Attendant Princess Emma Bartlett and 2023 Miss Kane County Princess Jaylee Hoyt. Photo by Jerry Melrose.
The festivities were initiated with a spirited chorus line dance number to the refrain of Marilyn Monroe singing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from the 20th-Century Fox early Cinemascope film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953) with Jane Russell. The ceremony had altered its goal of crowning a traditionally named Queen to simply Miss Kane County Teen and Princess. Contestants shared their Talent at the piano (Hadlee), with original illustrations and storytelling (LIza), cheerleader acrobatics (Emma), quilt-making (Beka), song (Evelynn), dance (Sheridyn, Ellarie, Braelyn, Shelby, as well as by curiosity engendering downside up painting (Kaylee).
The evening, of course, included the customary evening Gown Segment walkabout followed by a Presentation Segment declaring their Service Platform and answering a randomly selected question.
Thanks to the much-appreciated generosity of a multitude of local sponsors, as well as some gathered by the Pageant performers themselves, the funds contributed to the Scholarship Program provided financial assistance were shared among all ten participants. As Miss Kane County Teen (and newly elected Valley High School Student Body President) Kaylee Brinkerhoff received $1900, along with $100 for Preferred Talent and another $100 for Preferred Platform (Suicide Prevention and Awareness). Additionally, she was presented with a $157 check equal to 10 percent of the support she personally raised for the Scholarship Program.
Then, after most everyone had dispersed the high school auditorium, in consultation with Camberly Anderson and Shelby Springall, she abruptly volunteered to forfeit her $200 “Miss Congeniality” title recognition to be distributed evenly between the two Miss Princess candidates, who had tied in that category: Braelyn Felish and Shelby Tullis. Thus, with a hastily assembled two car convoy entourage accompanied by retiring 2023 Queen Shelby Springall, Second Miss Teen Attendant Beka Rogers and Princess First Attendant Liza Rogers, she happily delivered the news in-person along with their own crowns and sashes to the surprised recipients at their homes!
Miss Teen First Attendant Sheridyn Hoyt of Orderville was awarded $1500, as well as $100 for “Miss Photogenic.” Kanab’s Miss Teen Second Attendant Beka Rogers got $1100. Miss Kane County Princess Ellarie Sloan, Kanab, garnered $1000, including $100 in Preferred Gown. Princess First Attendant Liza Rogers, Kanab, was given $600 and Princess Second Attendant Emma Bartlett, Kanab, $400. Both Evelynn Geiger and Hadlee Johnson from Kanab each aced a $100 Service Award for 20+ hours prior.
Pageant Director Camberly Anderson, who coordinated the event, shares, “The second one is done. But an amazing year! The first year I came in I loved the girls [who] were leaving, but I hadn’t really worked with them. This group, I’ve worked with them all year and they have grown so much. I loved watching them develop, change and grow! Now I know what to look forward to this coming year, and I’m so excited to watch the new girls develop.”