Waynesburg prepares for Rain Day
WAYNESBURG – The celebration will begin a couple of days early for one of 15 local girls when she’s crowned Miss Rain Day on Sunday. Even though Rain Day will not take place until Tuesday, July 29, the 25th anniversary Miss Rain Day Scholarship Pageant will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday in Waynesburg Central High School auditorium.
KDKA’s Yvonne Zanos, the pageant’s master of ceremonies, has been a part of Miss Rain Day for the past few years.
“She helps us celebrate by participating as our host,” said Melody Longstreth, executive director of the Waynesburg Chamber of Commerce. Longstreth also said that many of the former Miss Rain Days are returning to this year’s show.
Each year, one talented young lady between the ages of 14 and 18 walks away with the crown and title of Miss Rain Day, as well as scholarship money. Longstreth estimated that this year’s total is almost $7,000 in scholarships. The contestants are judged on the basis of personal interview, sportswear, talent and evening gown competitions.
The personal interview takes place before the pageant on Saturday when each contestant is placed in front of a panel of five judges. Then they will show off their talent, sportswear and evening gowns for the audience at Sunday’s pageant.
Awards are given for Miss Rain Day, the four members of the court with top scores in each category, Miss Personality and Miss Photogenic.
Three other “very special awards, just to our pageant,” Longstreth said, are presented – a John O’Hara award, a Rainmaker award and the Kelly Smotzer Memorial Award.
The contestants write about “what Rain Day means to them,” said Longstreth in an essay competition for the John O’Hara award. “John O’Hara made Rain Day famous,” she said.
The Rainmaker award is presented to the contestant who collects the most in sponsorships.
Longstreth said Kelly Smotzer, a two-time Miss Rain Day contestant, was tragically killed in a car accident while still in her teens. After the tragic event, which occurred in the late 1980s, she explained that an award was given in her memory “to someone who exudes the same qualities she had.”
“She was an outgoing, bubbly, great, all-around kid,” Longstreth said.
After the judges get to know the contestants through their activities during several months before the pageant, Longstreth said the award is given to a young woman “with good qualities to have in a person.”
The entire court has been busy this summer with events leading up to the competition. The contestants took part in Greene County Day at Kennywood Park, attended dinner and the theater performance of “Guys and Dolls” in Morgantown, W.Va., had WANB radio interviews and photos taken.
They also participated in many other activities. There is no time to stop and relax, even after the pageant, especially for Miss Rain Day, according to Longstreth.
“She begins her activities the very next day,” she said. Miss Rain Day will speak to the Rotary Club at lunch on Monday, and then “reign over Rain Day” on Tuesday, where she has many responsibilities.
Miss Rain Day will be seen in the parade and introduced on stage with her court.
She’ll also be presenting awards, pulling winning raffle numbers and starting the Rain Day 5K race.
Miss Rain Day’s hectic schedule isn’t over at the end of Rain Day.
“She becomes a local celebrity for a year,” Longstreth said.
Throughout the year, Miss Rain Day makes many appearances riding in parades, does radio and newspaper interviews and speaks at clubs and organizations.
One year, Longstreth remembers a former Miss Rain Day getting hands-on experience by participating in a goat-milking contest for Giant Eagle.
“It’s not just prim and proper,” she said.
This year’s Rain Day will be a bittersweet occasion for last year’s winner, Rachel Burack. The talented 18-year-old girl was the first ever “triple crown winner” in Greene County with the three titles of Miss Rain Day, Coal Queen and Miss Riverfest 2002. Although the year is hectic and tiresome, Longstretch said it is always sad for Miss Rain Day to give up her crown.
Burack “did an excellent job,” said Longstreth in juggling between each of her titles.
“(Burack) had to go through three times in last year’s Christmas parade,” she said, each time wearing a different crown. Burack, 2003 Mapletown High School graduate, will be attending California University this fall.
Competing for this year’s title of Miss Rain Day 2003 are:
– Carmichaels Area Junior-Senior High School, Paige Shlosky, 16.
– Jefferson Morgan High School, Courtney Franks, 14.
– Mapletown High School, Ashley Nicole Drew, 16; and Maria Garnek, 16.
– Waynesburg Central High School, Meaghan Bruno, 16; Elizabeth Jane Carroll, 17; Andrea Kirby, 16; Julia Loeper, 16; Devan Nicole Policz, 17, Jeannette Sinnott, 16; Meghan Snyder, 16; Emily Spade, 16; and Mandy Throckmorton, 16.
– West Greene High School, Heather Star Broadway, 17; and Emily Lynn Mathason, 16.