Matheson crowned FITS queen

April Matheson is still on top of the world.
“It’s pretty shocking,” she said yesterday, two days after being crowned Fun in the Sun Queen 2001. “I really don’t remember [the crowning] too well. It was like a dream.”
Matheson, who was sponsored by 364 Foodstore, received $2,000 as part of her prize after being crowned at the ceremony July 1 at Pither’s Point Park–money she said will be useful in the next couple years.
“I really needed that. I’d like to away to school for pharmacy and this should be investment towards that,” she remarked. “I might also use some to go on an exchange to Australia in my OAC year.”
Sarah Hebert (La Place Rendez-Vous) was crowned First Princess while Lindsay Cawston (George Armstrong Co.) was named Second Princess. Jade Whitefield (Pharmasave) was named Miss Congeniality.
Hebert and Cawston received $1,000 and $500 respectively, as well some other gifts from local businesses. All the girls got roses.
Besides making new friends, Matheson she found a new hobby while participating in some of the activities the six queen contestants had done last week.
“I really liked kayaking–that was real fun,” she enthused, adding she and Hebert plan to go again with pageant co-organizer Rachel Thiessen. “I want to learn all the advanced moves, like the Eskimo roll.”
Matheson also said her experience with the recent “Relay for Life” here has turned her on to doing more volunteer work.
“We had an assembly line going, packing the bags with sand and the candle. It was for a good cause, and it was lots of fun,” she remarked. “I think I’ll volunteer to help next year, and get more a large group together to help out.
“They really need volunteers.”
Hebert recalled the crowning vividly. “I was really excited. You never know what’s going to happen up until then,” she enthused. “I’m so happy April won–she deserved it.”
She noted now that the queen pageant is over, she can’t pick out a single event she enjoyed more than the others. “I just enjoyed spending time with the girls. April and I were already friends but we’re even closer now,” Hebert said.
“And Rachel was always hanging out with us–it was so cool.”
Hebert did the honours of signing the “O Canada” before the fireworks Sunday night.
She also won the entertainment night held June 24 at the Townshend Theatre, singing an original song. She also played piano while Dan Poperechny accompanied her on guitar.
Cawston, who said she was surprised to have placed at all against the tough competition, also noted being a contestant was worth all the hard work.
“You definitely learn teamwork while still having to get things done by yourself,” she noted. “You learn how to get things done in a short period of time.
“And you have to go out there and talk to people you don’t know. And that’s something you have to learn for when you go to college, or get your first real job,” added Cawston.
She said she’ll put her winnings toward covering her post-secondary education expenses.
Meanwhile, Whitefield agreed the contest was a growth experience.
“It was so much fun. I didn’t really know the other girls before but we became friends through it all,” she noted, adding she would recommend being a queen contestant to everyone.
She mentioned she was honoured to be named “most congenial” by her fellow contestants.
“I was really surprised about that. There was a vote, and April and I tied. So there was another vote, and we tied again,” she recalled. “Then there was other and I won. I thought April would get it for sure.”
“I think [the pageant] was a great experience. I think we matured from all the things we learned along the way,” echoed contestant Joanna McQuarrie (Skates and Blades).
McQuarrie noted she was pleased to see Matheson win. “All the girls did so well, and I loved everybody’s floats,” she said, adding the parade was probably her favourite part of the contest.
“Because everybody worked so hard on the floats, it was great to go out there on Canada Day, with all the people,” she remarked.
And Ashley Sisco (Rainbow Motel) revealed one of her favourite events was the picnic basket auction. “Because only our families would buy our baskets,” she laughed.
She also said the crowning ceremony was exciting. “Nicole [Jewell] was teasing us. She was like ‘Don’t you want to know later?’” she recalled.
The event was organized by Thiessen and Sherri Puddicombe. “We think it went pretty well,” said Thiessen. “The girls were so good, and really every event was fun–it was kind of sad for it to be over.”
Thiessen noted organizing the event was a lot of work. “But the girls made it all worthwhile. I think [I might do it again]. There’s always a year to go, but yeah, I think that would be good,” she said.
The six kept busy over the past two weeks with “Relay for Life,” the entertainment night, kayaking with Rainy Lake Boatworks, taking a first-aid course, attending a sponsor mix-and-mingle, the BIA’s “Mall Day,” the Fort Frances Public Library’s Teddy Bear Picnic, and Culturama.
The number for the winning FITS queen button was drawn yesterday at the Chamber of Commerce. The owner of the button with #583 on it can call to claim the prize of 100 loonies.
In related news, 2000 Mini-Queen Hailey Clendenning turned over her crown to this year’s winner, Cassie Jackson, on July 1. The 20th-annual pageant, sponsored by Wood’s Sewing Machines, was held Saturday at the Memorial Sports Centre prior to Culturama.
And Annalyse Hayes was named the winner of Beta Sigma Phi–Phi Iota Chapter’s annual “Beach Baby” contest before the queen crowning Sunday.
Hailey Tucker took second-place while Alexandra Spuzak came in third.
The annual contest raised $1,400, which will be used to help local children’s causes.