Registration opens for Five Hills Scholarship Pageant
T
he application period for the Five Hills Scholarship Pageant, formerly the Rabbit Fest Pageant, is officially open until May 1. Applications can be downloaded at www.rabbitfestpageant.com. The pageant name has changed as titleholders expand their appearances with the City of Copperas Cove’s new convention and visitor’s bureau which opened last week in the civic center. The pageant will award more than $50,000 in scholarships and prizes again this year with each contestant receiving more than $200 in prizes just for entering.
Despite the name change, the Rabbit Fest royalty remain busy. The royalty continue to support the Fort Hood Area Lemonade Day event and were registering children to participate at both the Pershing & Venable Village Spring Fling on Fort Hood and the YMCA/CCISD Month of the Military Child Celebration. The royalty will be registering children again at the city’s Easter egg hunt on Saturday.
At the YMCA, the royalty were generously sharing their sparkling tiaras with aspiring queens and kings at the Try on My Tiara booth, letting them wear their crowns and seeing themselves as royalty too. The titleholders were also busy painting the nails of young ladies in the Pretty Princess Parlor while the Rabbit Fest kings helped run the children’s games including bowling and the bean bag toss. YMCA Center Director Doreen Vasseur appreciated having the royalty help with the event for the third consecutive year.
“I love having them here because the play all the games and get the kids excited about playing,” Vasseur said. “My granddaughter even got her nails painted and tried on the crown. I am grateful for all they do for our children and this community.”
The royalty also had a special evening at the Austin Spurs game, one of the pageant’s sponsors. All contestants received two tickets to any game this season and the royalty and their families were honored at Saturday night’s game with special seating, logoed merchandise including tote bags, sunglasses and more.
The titleholders traded roles with the contestants and became the judge and auditor at the Miss Waco Elite Pageant on Sunday. Rabbit Fest Ambassador Edith Natividad served as a judge and Sr. Ms. Rabbit Fest Robin Scheafnocker served as an auditor while the other titleholders were visiting royalty. Pageant director Tammi Moody said the support of the ladies was greatly appreciated.
“These queens are all awesome role models and they represent Copperas Cove with honor and of the highest standards. Their community involvement and leadership makes each of them legendary and they are leaving behind a true legacy,” Moody said. “Not many people can say they did that in life. All of them are truly amazing and remarkable and Copperas Cove should be very proud of how well they reign as royalty.”
In royal sightings this week, look for the titleholders to be visiting royalty at the Burnet Bluebonnet Festival Pageant Friday night and assist with the City of Copperas Cove’s Easter Egg Round-up on Saturday morning. The royalty partner with McDonald’s for a child abuse awareness event on Saturday from 11 a.m.– 1 p.m.