Sponsors honored for Five Hills Scholarship Program support
Special to Leader-Press
More than 100 sponsors from Copperas Cove, Killeen, Austin, Temple, Waco and throughout the Central Texas region contributed to the 7th Annual Miss Five Hills Scholarship Pageant this year allowing the organization to award contestants and winners more than $90,000 in college scholarships and prizes.
Manning Homes has served as the presenting sponsor of the Miss Five Hills Scholarship Pageant since its resurgence seven years ago.
“These young ladies and gentlemen have proven year after year their love and dedication to Copperas Cove. The winners not only represent outer beauty, but more importantly, inner beauty,” Joan Manning said. “With their service projects that promote and support local organizations like Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful, Hope Pregnancy Center, and Cove Animal Shelter, to name a few, they highlight the positive work and volunteerism that happens in our community.”
The newly crowned titleholders, who moved into their roles as ambassadors for the City of Copperas Cove on June 6, will spend the month visiting with sponsors and thanking them for their support.
“It’s important to say thank you to our sponsors to recognize them for their contributions to our community because if it wasn’t for them, there would be no scholarships for college,” Preteen Miss Five Hills Romella Spitzer said. “I also know that it’s important to know my community really well and I do that by visiting our sponsors’ facilities and understanding what they do for our community.”
The pageant awards money for college in every contestant division with the exception of Senior Ms. Five Hills for whom the entry fee is paid for the Senior Ms. Texas America Pageant.
Five Hills Junior Ambassador Hayley Sawyer said thanking sponsors at their businesses is important because it’s that support that allows the titleholders to focus on work in the community.
“Meeting with the sponsors and being able to thank them is special to me because I am able to express how grateful I am for the opportunity to have scholarships for college,” Sawyer said. “Seeing some businesses where I have never been before is exciting because I can’t wait to start going there. One example is Black Meg.”
For Young Miss Five Hills Elise Fuselier, the introduction provided by the pageant to the Copperas Cove community is educational.
“I learned what the businesses offer because I haven’t been to any of them,” Fuselier said. “Without sponsors, we would not have the opportunity to travel and represent the City or earn money for college.”
Pageant partners contributing $500 or more in financial or in-kind contributions receive a personal visit from the royalty clad in their crowns and banners. All sponsors receive a thank you letter and copies of their newspaper advertisement and pageant program book sponsor page.
“It is truly exciting to see their smiling, happy faces as they represent Copperas Cove in many parades and community festivities all around the state of Texas,” Manning said. “What a source of pride and inspiration for Copperas Cove.”