2014 Miss Lewis County Contestants
Rachel Mecham, 17, Centralia; Parents: Matthew and Wendy Mecham; Talent: Piano; Platform: The National Military Family Association - Operation Purple; Sponsored by Tips-n-Toes Hair Design and The Bath Depot.
Tressa Coultard, 17, Chehalis; Parents: Kenneth Coultard and Desiree Casey; Talent: Dance; Platform: Dance education; Sponsored by Southwest Washington Dance Center.
Amanda Briggs, 18, Pe Ell; Parents: Paul Briggs and Kathy Trombley; Talent: Vocal; Platform: Youth suicide prevention; Sponsored by Laura Hamilton.
Anna DeTray, 18, Chehalis; Parents: Tom and Jodie DeTray; Talent: Vocal; Platform: 4-H; Sponsored by Active Construction and TJ Guyer Inc.
Catherine Murphy, 22, Chehalis; Parents: Arthur and Jackie Murphy; Talent: Violin; Platform: Raising awareness of child trafficking; Sponsored by Book ‘n’ Brush and Sweet Inspirations.
Chloe Curry was named miss Congeniality days after her arrest for attempting to steal makeup from Walmart.
Kaitlin Carney, 17, Toledo; Parents: Richard and Melissa Carney; Talent: Vocal/guitar; Platform: Raising awareness for missing children; Sponsored by Railworks Track System.
Katie Britten, 19, Toledo; Parents: John and Angie Britten; Talent: Vocal; Platform: Bullying in teens; Sponsored by Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant.
Katie Weichel, 20, Winlock; Parents: Henry and Pamela Weichel; Talent: Piano; Platform: Big Brothers Big Sisters; Sponsored by re-Design.
Kellee Weiner, 19, Centralia; Parents: Russell and Diane Weiner; Talent: Dance; Platform: Raising awareness and ending the stigma of mental illness; Sponsored by Centralia Ballet Academy and Lakeside Industries.
Kendra Land, 17, Centralia; Parents: Jon and Sherry Land; Talent: Piano; Platform: Inspiring America’s Youth, Dare to Dream; Sponsored by Twin Cities Line-X.
Jodee Hickman, 23, Centralia; Parents: Joseph and Marlene Hickman; Talent: Viola, Platform: Stomp out bullying; Sponsored by Ash & Roberts, DDS and Debbie’s Boutique.
Danika Macomber, 20, Napavine; Parents: Andy Macomber and Shelly Sanders; Talent: Vocal; Platform: Americans for the Arts - The National Art Education Association; Sponsored by Chehalis West Assisted Living.
The next Miss Lewis County will be crowned next month.
The 2014 Miss Lewis County Scholarship Pageant will be held at 7 p.m Saturday, March 8, in the Chester V. Rhodes Auditorium at R.E. Bennett School in Chehalis.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Tickets are available at the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Friday, March 7. Tickets can also be ordered online by emailing organizer Amanda Berg at grebaj29@gmail.com.
Tickets — including reserved main floor and open seating in the balcony — are $15. On pageant night, tickets will be $20.
Miss Lewis County 2013 Abrielle Sheets, a freshman at Brigham Young University in Utah, will pass the honor on to one of the 13 young women competing for the title this year.
The upcoming pageant is the 52nd for Lewis County.
Organizer Harlan Thompson said 13 contestants is a higher turnout than most years. Last year’s pageant had 10 competing for the title.
“That is not the most we have had, but it is right up close to the top,” Thompson said.
Besides the Miss Lewis County 2014 title, organizers said, there will be several other scholarships handed out to the contestants during the closing ceremonies of the program.
The Miss Lewis County Scholarship Program is an official preliminary to the Miss Washington and Miss America Scholarship Pageants.
Thompson said each contestant is judged in the same categories as the Miss Washington and America Pageant contestants.
The interview portion is valued at 25 percent of the score, artistic expression in talent is worth 35 percent, presence and poise in evening wear is 20 percent, stage knowledge and awareness is 5 percent and lifestyle and fitness in swimsuit is 15 percent.
“It’s based on the Miss America Pageant,” Thompson said. “It’s all the same.”
Miss Lewis County is the official hostess for the county and officiates, attends or performs at numerous activities throughout the county.
The candidate selected must be available to serve one year from March 2014 until March 2015.
She will also compete in the Miss Washington Scholarship Pageant in July.
