Gabby Brockway at the Mossyrock Blueberry Festival.
After not having any local participants for the Lewis County Dairy Ambassador in 2018, the Lewis County Dairy Women are excited to have two contestants for this year’s contest. The program is more than 55 years old and Lewis County was one of the first counties in Washington to have what used to be called a “dairy princess” program, said president Marilyn Fenn.
“The idea is to be a figurehead for the dairy industry and to promote the industry and its products,” Fenn said. “It really provides an excellent opportunity for these young ladies to learn communication skills, to learn to speak, even things like how to dress for a professional situation.”
Last year, when no one entered the contest, Gabriella Brockway, a senior at Mossyrock, volunteered to be the ambassador. Her interest in the program stems from her childhood experiences, because her grandfather owned a dairy farm and she had been showing holsteins at the fair since she was 3 years old. Brockway has spent the past year attending parades, community activities and Washington Interscholastic Activities Association championship events as well as giving speeches about the dairy industry. Brockway’s year of service is rewarded with a $750 scholarship to further her education and she plans to attend Eastern Washington University and study speech pathology.
“Going in, I was really shy and kind of didn’t know what I was doing, so I started with parades,” Brockway said. “Then I did a speech for the Centralia-Chehalis Christian Women’s Club and that really got me more out of my comfort zone.”
This year’s dairy ambassador contestants are Montanna Heinricher and Kaylee Keehr, who are both juniors at W. F. West High School. Heinricher and Keehr met and became friends when they started working on the same dairy farm and were both involved in FFA.
“I think it’s fun to be able to run with somebody that you know,” Heinricher said.
Heinricher started showing dairy when she was in 4th grade and was instantly hooked. Her speech for the contest is about how dairy has affected her life and things she’s learned from the industry. She also wants to help younger kids get involved and keep the dairy department going in the showing area. During her time in the program, she is most excited to hand out ribbons to the peewee class because the kids are cute and have funny names for their calves, Heinricher said.
Keehr joined FFA in high school and started working at a dairy farm where she fell in love with showing heifers. Last year, she purchased her very own heifer at a sale in Monroe. She is also looking forward to giving her speech about the promotion of chocolate milk to athletes versus a sports beverage.
The requirements to compete for dairy ambassador have broadened over the years, but applicants need some sort of connection to the dairy industry, like working on a dairy farm or participating in a 4-H or FFA project, Fenn said. Competitors also need to be a Lewis County resident. Fenn said this year, the ambassador and alternate will both receive a scholarship and be encouraged to participate in community events.
The competition day begins with a luncheon for the judges and the contestants where the girls will give their speeches and complete interviews. Then, during the contest, the girls will give their speeches to the crowd and answer an impromptu question. Finally, the judges will announce the ambassador and alternate. The state ambassador will also be in attendance at the contest, Fenn said.
The contest will begin at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Baw Faw Grange in Curtis, WA. The receiving line will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the coronation will be at 7 p.m. Following the announcement of the new ambassador will be a dessert reception. For more information, visit the Lewis County Dairy Ambassador Facebook page.
2019 Dairy Ambassador Contest
Saturday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Baw Faw Grange
995 Boistfort Rd
Curtis, Washington 98538
