Five competing for Miss Rain Day title
Kayla Pendland
Nina Rivera
Caitlyn Ricco
Carly Riggi
Morgan Voithofer
Stephanie Mitchell, 2013 Miss Rain Day
JEFFERSON – Five young ladies from around Greene County will compete in the 36th annual Miss Rain Day Scholarship Pageant Sunday.
Sponsored by Rain Day Scholarship Inc., the competition will begin at 4 p.m. in the Jefferson-Morgan High School auditorium.
The contestants will be judged on the basis of personal interview, sportswear, talent and evening gown competitions. Awards will be presented to those with top scores in these areas as well as Miss Personality, Miss Photogenic, the Spirit Award, Scholastic Achievement Award and Kelly Smotzer Memorial Award. Participation awards will be given to all contestants.
A Rain Maker Award will be presented to the contestant who collects the most scholarships, and the John O’Hara Award will be given to the contestant who composes the best essay on what Rain Day means to them.
The Remo C. Bertugli Memorial Award will also be presented, which is judged from essays submitted by the contestants on how a volunteering experience changed their life.
Westmoreland County Community College is once again awarding the new Miss Rain Day a $2,500 scholarship should she choose to attend WCCC.
The contestants have had a busy schedule this summer. They gathered in May in the Glass Room in Benedum Hall at Waynesburg University to officially kick off their quest for the Miss Rain Day title.
Guests that evening included Stephanie Mitchell, Miss Rain Day 2013, and 2014 crown bearer Bailey Barnyak.
The contestants also had their portraits taken courtesy of Bruno & Bruno Full Service Salon and Portrait Studio and were interviewed by WANB Radio’s Doug Wilson.
They attended a Washington Wild Things baseball game and a dinner-theater trip to Benedum Cultural Center to see the production of “Legally Blonde” and had dinner at Grille on 7th.
They also volunteered their time to raise money and awareness to the Wounded Warrior Project and a book drive benefiting Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Morgantown, W.Va., Mitchell’s chosen service projects.
Additionally, they assisted with the Greene County Memorial Hospital Foundation Golf Outing.
They will also attend the Habitat for Humanity Rain Day 5K race to be held Saturday.
After the pageant, Miss Rain Day 2014, her court and the contestants will participate in the Rain Day Festival July 29, and the winners will perform for festivalgoers.
Those competing for the title of Miss Rain Day 2014 are, in contestant order:
• Kayla Pendland, 16, daughter of Kalem and Melinda Pendland of Clarksville. She will be a junior at Jefferson-Morgan Junior-Senior High School. She will be performing a vocal selection entitled “Skyfall.”
• Nina Rivera, 17, daughter of Chad and Eryan Coss of Waynesburg. She will be a senior at Waynesburg Central High School. She will be performing a tap dance routine to the music titled “Mercy.”
• Caitlyn Ricco, 15, daughter of Tom and Carrie Ricco of Carmichaels. She will be a sophomore at Carmichaels Area Junior Senior High School. She will be performing a lyrical acrobatic dance to the song, “When You’re Gone.”
• Carly Riggi, 16, daughter of John and Josey Riggi of Rices Landing. She will be a junior at Jefferson- Morgan Junior-Senior High School. She will perform a ballet/ hiphop dance to “Priuri Se Planinata.”
• Morgan Voithofer, 15, daughter of Jason Voithofer and Heather Tokarcik, both of Carmichaels. She will be a sophomore at Carmichaels Area Junior-Senior High School. She will be performing a musical theater selection to “Don’t Rain on my Parade.”