Jul 29, 2011 By Antonia Cekada 3 min read

Kelcee Headlee, who was crowned Miss Rain Day 2010, recently reflected on her year-long reign of rain royalty.

Headlee’s reign ended on Sunday when she presented her crown to 16-year-old Joanna Allen during the 33rd annual Miss Rain Day Scholarship Pageant; but for Headlee, there was never a dull moment during her reign.

Headlee said that her proudest moment was when she was crowned. Her mother was also crowned Miss Rain Day in 1991, and they became the first mother-daughter pair to hold the title.

“I am really happy that I can share the experiences with my mother,” said Headlee.

The queen is required to participate in many activities and a community service project throughout the year, she said.

The Rain Day festival, Christmas parade, harvest festival, golf outings and the coal show parade are a few of the activities Headlee participated in.

For Headlee’s community service project, she hosted a bake sale with all of the proceeds going to the autism society. She said that she was able to raise about $150.

“The Christmas parade was my favorite event of the year,” said Headlee.

For the parade, Headlee got to ride in a horse-drawn carriage and sing the national anthem.

“I was proud because I was the first queen to sing in a few years,” she said.

Headlee enjoys singing as a hobby, and she chose to sing for the talent portion of the pageant.

“I made my mom cry,” she said. “I picked a song to devote to my mother and hid it from her until the pageant.”

Besides talent, the pageant consists of three other portions, said Headlee.

The first portion is the interview, which is the only portion kept from the public. The contestants are in a room with only the judges, she said.

The second portion is sportswear and the contestants have to model a “skort” (skirt with shorts) with a matching Rain Day- themed t-shirt. The last part is evening wear, said Headlee.

Headlee said that last year 12 girls competed for the crown, while this year, there were six contestants.

As the queen, part of Headlee’s requirements was to help the new contestants get ready for the pageant, and offer advice.

“You have to put your heart and soul onto the stage, and that’s what I did,” said Headlee.

Remembering her own pageant day, Headlee said that she had to dance in the back in an effort to relieve her nerves.

“Get used to smiling,” Headlee said jokingly. “Your cheeks will hurt.”

For Headlee, her reign as Miss Rain Day was over all too soon. She offered some sound advice to future Rain Day queens.

“Embrace the year, it’ll flash by,” she said. “It’s crazy to think that a year had gone by that fast.”

Allen now wears the crown and Headlee could not be happier for her friend.

“The judges want someone well-rounded who will hold the title well,” said Headlee. “I know for a fact Joanna will do that.”

Her reign now behind her, Headlee — who graduated from Waynesburg Central High School — plans to attend Geneva, a private college in Beaver Falls, in the fall.

Headlee has chosen biology as her major with a specialization in cardiovascular technology. Geneva is the only school in the nation that offers that specialization, said Headlee.