Five contestants competing for Miss Rain Day crown
Claire Kreider, fifth from left, Miss Rain Day 2015, stands with the 2016 Miss Rain Day contestants, from left, Bryn Patton, McKenna Benke, Alison Blair, Brittany Rhodes and Micaela Ricco, along with crown bearer Paige Hanning.
Brittany Rhodes
Alison Blair
Micaela Ricco
Bryn Patton
McKenna Benke
Five young women from Greene County are competing in the 38th annual Miss Rain Day Scholarship Pageant this weekend.
The competition, sponsored by Rain Day Scholarship Inc., will begin at 4 p.m. Sunday in the Waynesburg Central High School auditorium.
Those competing for the title of Miss Rain Day 2016 are, in contestant order:
Brittany Rhodes, 16, the daughter of Robert and Angela Rhodes of Waynesburg, will be a junior at Waynesburg Central High School. She is performing a modern jazz dance to “Flicker.”
Alison Blair, 14, the daughter of Laurie and Michael Blaire of Waynesburg, will be a freshman at Waynesburg Central High School. She is performing a contemporary dance to “When Your Feet Don’t Touch the Ground.”
Micaela Ricco, 15, the daughter of Tom and Carrie Ricco of Carmichaels, will be a sophomore at Carmichaels Area Junior-Senior High School. She is performing an acrobatic routine to “Close to the Fire.”
Bryn Patton, 14, the daughter of Michelle and Randy Patton of Waynesburg, will be a freshman at Waynesburg Central High School. She is performing a contemporary dance to “I Look To You.”
McKenna Benke, 17, the daughter of Traci and Scott Benke of Waynesburg, will be a senior at Waynesburg Central High School. She is performing a vocal Selection – “Via Dolorosa.”
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 the 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 inside 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 Claire Kreider, the reigning Miss Rain Day, and 2016 crown bearer Paige Hanning.
The contestants had their portraits taken courtesy of Bruno & Bruno Full Service Salon and Portrait Studio, were interviewed by WANB-Radio’s Doug Wilson, attended a Washington Wild Things baseball game and enjoyed a dinner-theater trip to the Benedum Cultural Center in Pittsburgh to see the production of “Chicago.”
They also volunteered their time washing cars to raise money to benefit the Family Literacy Program and TAG (Teen Advocacy Group), which are Claire’s Miss Rain Day service projects. Additionally they assisted with the Greene County Memorial Hospital Foundation Golf Outing and are attending the Habitat for Humanity Rain Day 5K race today.
After the pageant, Miss Rain Day 2016, her court and the contestants will participate in the Rain Day Festival on July 29, and the winners will perform for the festivalgoers.
Claire, the 17-year-old daughter of Dani and Lowell Kreider of Waynesburg, is guiding the contestants through their quest for the title and will relinquish the crown to one of this year’s contestants.