Pageant hits half-century mark at this year's fireman's carnival
Traci McLafferty is looking for Miss Saxonburg. Actually, she's looking for many Miss Saxonburgs.
The pageant will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the Saxonburg Fireman's Carnival held June 9-14, and McLafferty of Cabot, a Miss Saxonburg in the mid-1970s, is hoping other winners will contact her and come as guests to this year's event.
McLafferty has been pageant coordinator since 2009. She said the late beauty shop owner Irene McDivitt started the pageant in 1964 and was the director for nearly 20 years.
The first year, 34 contestants competed in talent, interview and formal attire segments at the Saxonburg fire hall.
The winner, Knoch High School senior Gloria DeSellem Robinson of Erie, Colo., formerly of Saxonburg, received a trip to the New York World's Fair.
Diana Cooper Weleski of Cabot, then a junior at Knoch High School, was second runner-up that year.
“We just thought it was going to be something different, something cute,” said Weleski. “I played the piano. My dad and some of his friends took our piano up to the hall and donated it to the firemen.”
The interview question the first year was about desired traits in a husband. Weleski does not remember her answer, but she has been married 46 years.
“I must have picked the right one,” she said.
Weleski was a pageant organizer for about five years. She admitted parents sometimes made it a difficult task.
“The kids now are under more pressure than what we were. We were just out for a good time,” she said. “There was no pressure.”
Since 1964, the contestants have sold raffle tickets for the fire company from a stand at the carnival. The raffle winner gets a car.
McLafferty's ticket tale had a romantic twist and a great prize.
“My husband was a junior fireman at the car stand,” said McLafferty. “He was just helping however they needed him to help. He said he had a motorcycle.”
They went on a motorcycle ride without her father's permission.She was 16 and he was 17 at the start of their four-year engagement. They will celebrate their 34th anniversary in June.“I jokingly tell the parents of contestants to watch out,” said McLafferty.Kayleigh Rivers, 17, of Summit Township, is the reigning Miss Saxonburg. Last year was her third year in the pageant.Kayleigh is a junior at Butler High School and sang “On My Own” from “Les Misérables” as her talent in the pageant.“Our whole family has been involved,” said Rivers.Her younger sisters, Amber, 14, and Emma, 11, participated in the pageant before Kayleigh competed, winning Junior Miss Saxonburg and Little Miss Saxonburg.“They really wanted me to do the Saxonburg pageant,” said Rivers. “They helped me with walking, with my confidence. We always would play pageant. They would ask me questions and interview me.”“I love doing this pageant. It is a great way to make new friends. Whether you win or not, it is a great experience. It's given me a lot of confidence to be in front of people,” she said.During the week of the carnival, there are four competitions. Beginning at age 6, girls can participate for Petite Miss Saxonburg, Little Miss Saxonburg, Junior Miss Saxonburg and Miss Saxonburg.“We want the girls to be well rounded and representative of Saxonburg. We tell the judges to look at them individually according to their ages,” said McLafferty. “It's not about the outer beauty of the girl. It can be the inner beauty of the girl.”The pageant includes a dance number with all the contestants, a talent presentation and modeling sportswear and evening gowns or party clothing.This year the pageant will accept up to 12 competitors for Miss Saxonburg.Contestants for all the contests must be Butler County residents between age 6 and 18 and have a talent they can perform in less than three minutes.The registration deadline is Friday and the pageant is divided by age across three nights beginning June 10.For information, call Traci McLafferty at 724-352-2026 or e-mail to tracidance79@yahoo.com.
