Tiny beauty queen blooms during year of service
Special to Leader-Press
Two-year old Elliana Bardo bends at the knees and lets out an exhaustive breath as she uses all of her strength to lift a gallon jug half full of water. Her mother, Christina Bardo, shows her how to steady the jug by placing her hand on the bottom of the container so she can water the plants on Avenue D.
The reigning Tiny Miss Five Hills chose Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful selected keeping her community clean as her platform of service if selected for the title. She and her sister titleholders in the Miss Five Hills Scholarship Program were assigned one of the plots on Avenue D to plant succulents and keep them watered throughout the year.
“Elliana has enjoyed going out every weekend to water and clean around the plants and see them blossom and grow,” Christina Bardo said. “She tries so hard to carry the jugs of water and they are half her size and heavy for her. It’s super cute to watch as I hand her one of the partially filled jugs from the car. After she carries it over to the plants and pours out all the water, her little voice always says, ‘I did it, Mommy. I did it.’ Of course, she hands the empty jug right back to me, but it’s such a bittersweet moment to see so much independence coming from someone so young.”
Bardo said she entered her daughter into Miss Five Hills Scholarship Pageant to help her gain confidence by being on stage in front of people.
“The pageant has given my daughter so much more than I imagined. It has helped to prepare her to understand different experiences, develop patience and has given her communication skills,” Bardo said. It also has given her the opportunity to represent Copperas Cove, make new friends and seek her own passions for her future.”
Elliana has also helped with KCCB graffiti removal and several trash pick-up events.
Bardo says watering the plants each week and seeing the results of her efforts taught the tiny beauty queen and her brother responsibility, time management, dedication and hard work.
“I believe the most rewarding thing to me is seeing her smile and being able to teach her how to grow plants and being able to give her skills that she can carry with her for a lifetime. That is so important to me,” Bardo said.
Applications to enter the 8th Annual Miss Five Hills Scholarship Pageant open February 1-March 1 at https://www.copperascovetx.gov/parks/five_hills_pageant/. The pageant is scheduled for March 27 at the Copperas Cove Civic Center.