AMBASSADORS NEEDED FOR THUNDER, PARADE, BALLOON RACE AND MORE
2002-09-11T10:12:48The Derby Festival is seeking young women for the 2003 Royal Court
The Kentucky Derby Festival is looking for candidates to become Derby Festival Princesses and comprise the 47th Royal Court. An orientation and application pick-up for young women interested in becoming a Princess will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14 beginning at 10 AM at Oxmoor Center. The young women selected in December will serve as official ambassadors for one of the world's leading civic celebrations.
Applicants must be single, female residents of Kentucky or the metropolitan area (Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties of Indiana), poised and outstanding in her community. A candidate must be a full-time student during the current academic year, attending a university, college or accredited professional school with a minimum accumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale. She must be 18 years old on or before Dec. 31, 2002. There are two orientations at Oxmoor. The first is this Saturday and the last is Saturday, September 28 at 10 AM. If an applicant cannot attend either orientation, she may send a parent, guardian or designated relative. Applications will not be mailed. Call Susan Smith at 894- 0559 before Sept. 14 with any questions.
The Princess selection process is a self-nominating procedure. The program represents the Kentucky Derby Festival and is overseen by members of The Fillies, Inc., a non-profit organization of 250 of the finest community volunteers. In addition to coordinating the princess program, the women produce the gala Derby Ball, during which the Derby Queen is selected and her Derby Court established. The court will be selected in December with the Queen chosen by a "spin-of-the-wheel" at the Derby Ball on April 11, 2003. Each Princess receives two $500 scholarships - one from The Fillies, Inc., and one from the Kentucky Derby Festival. In addition to other sponsor gifts, each woman receives a complimentary wardrobe provided by the merchants of Oxmoor Center.
Final judging will be held on December 9, 2002 with a special event held at Oxmoor Center to announce the five Princesses selected. Each candidate must be able to be excused from their school the day of the press event and 10 to 14 days prior to Kentucky Derby Day and other days as required.
A long-standing Derby tradition, the Derby Festival Queen and Court of Derby Festival Princesses act as official ambassadors for one of the country's leading civic celebrations, attending more than 70 Festival events. Since 1957, past Derby Festival Queens and Princesses have been making an impression on their community. They include Martha Layne Collins, Kentucky's first woman Governor, and a number of other community leaders. Many say their Derby Festival experience helped them prepare for their future careers.
Since 1956, the Derby Festival has worked to bring the community together in celebration. The Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 325 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people in a two- week period and has a local economic impact of more than $90 million. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
