Annual Krist Kindl Charity Pageant raises more than $2,500
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
The 4th annual Krist Kindl Charity Pageant saw a record number of contestants participate, with 64 participants donning their finest attire and walking across the stage in the Copperas Cove Civic Center Saturday morning.
The pageant is hosted by the members of the Five Hills Scholarship Pageant Royalty, with this year’s pageant being the special project of Young Miss Five Hills Allyssa Kimball to raise funds for Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful.
After expenses, Saturday’s pageant brought in $2,501.09 to be donated. Since the pageant’s return to the Krist Kindl Markt weekend, the pageant has raised money for the purchase of sensory playground equipment for Copperas Cove’s South Park, life-saving equipment for children suffering from mitochondrial disease and towards funding research through the American Cancer Society.
Each contestant received a custom medal while runners-up received a trophy and crowned winners received a trophy, a custom rhinestone tiara that looks like Kris Kringle, and a double-satin embroidered sash. The new royalty made their debut on the Domino’s Pizza float in Copperas Cove’s annual Christmas Parade Saturday afternoon and will also be featured in the Killeen Christmas Parade on December 8.
The new Krist Kindl Royalty include Baby Miss Krist Kindl Isabella Cross, Tiny Miss Krist Kindl Madison Guillet, Mini Miss Krist Kindl Ella Rose Stutz, Little Miss Krist Kindl Kadence Coombs, Junior Miss Krist Kindl Phoenix Harris, Pre-teen Miss Krist Kindl Lillian Hoaglin, Teen Miss Krist Kindl Tyler Foley, Ms. Krist Kindl Trisha Stutz, Senior Ms. Krist Kindl Dawn Hale and Mister Krist Kindl King Tijerina.
This year saw the addition of two categories- Senior Ms. For women ages 50 and older and Mister for boys ages 8 and younger.
When the runners-up for Senior Ms. Krist Kindl were announced, with the Leader-Press’ own Lynette Sowell taking 3rd runner up and Martha Flores taking 2nd runner up, Dawn Hale joined hands with Editha Natividad, who is the former Senior Ms. Rabbit Fest and Five Hills Ambassador. As Natividad’s name was called for the place of 1st runner up, Hale and Natividad hugged each other tight while Hale broke down crying.
Hale shared later that she is normally one to sponsor someone for the pageant but never compete, adding that this was her second ever pageant to compete in. Hale said that she had never had the nerve to do the pageant before.
She was joined in the pageant by her grandchildren, Alec and Kaydence Roberts, who competed in the Mister Krist Kindl and the Pre-teen Miss Krist Kindl categories.
“I’m very excited to be the very first Senior Ms. Krist Kindl,” Hale said. “This is only my second pageant ever, so I was taken aback but very proud to represent.”
Hale shared that her favorite part of the pageant was seeing all the girls and women on stage, “having the courage to just walk on there and just shine.”
“That is the biggest thing, win or lose,” Hale said. “It’s just getting up there that takes that courage.”
Hale said that she had never been on a float in a parade before and looked forward to that most.
Another winner was Pre-teen Miss Krist Kindl Lillian Hoaglin, 11, who attends Copperas Cove Junior High. Hoaglin said she entered the pageant at the request of her friend, Emily Kimball, who is the current Five Hills Ambassador and former Pre-teen Miss Five Hills. Hoaglin added that she never thought she would win.
“I was expecting one of the other girls with the bigger dresses,” Hoaglin said. “I’m just glad that I was over-confident and had a beautiful smile today.”
Her favorite part of winning was getting crowned and Hoaglin said she was most looking forward to wearing the crown and being herself.
For Trisha Stutz, pageants have become a family affair that continued with this year’s Krist Kindl. Stutz Stutz is a former Ms. Rabbit Fest and Five Hills Ambassador. This year was the first time since first winning the crown for Ms. Rabbit Fest that Stutz was able to actually compete in the Krist Kindl Charity Pageant though, she said.
Stutz entered herself and her two daughters, Kayla West, 18, and Ella Rose Stutz, 3, into Saturday’s pageant. Stutz and Ella each earned a crown, in the Ms. Krist Kindl and Mini Miss Krist Kindl categories, while West earned a trophy for 2nd runner up in the Teen Krist Kindl category. This was Ella’s first time winning a pageant.
Ella looked like a Christmas tree, with a green dress decorated with working lights and little wrapped presents plus presents on her socks and a tinsel star headband to represent the tree topper.
“She likes to feel pretty, she loves dresses, so I knew the lights would help her stay focused on stage,” Stutz said.
As soon as Ella was crowned, Stutz said she called her husband, Sgt. Timothy Stutz, who is currently deployed overseas.
Stutz wore a Santa hat with her own Christmas themed dress that featured a red petticoat and red and white snowflake jewelry that Stutz made herself.
Stutz said she was in shock and really excited at finding out she won. She said she enjoys the pageants because they allow her to give back and volunteer while providing a chance to feel special and have fun.
“It’s a really great pageant and it’s great to be able to help our community,” Stutz said. “You can serve in so many ways with or without a crown.”