Eight contestants to vie for Miss Bellaire pageant crowns Feb. 9

BELLAIRE – The show will go on.

After 15 years at the helm of the annual Miss Bellaire Scholarship Program, director Chris Davies notified her fellow committee members that 2018 would be her last year. With Davies’ retirement, no one immediately stepped up to oversee the array of responsibilities that often include year-round commitments and a summer full of weekend appearances at festival celebrations throughout the region – let alone preparation and duties necessary for the annual fall pageant.

Facing the prospect of having no royalty to serve as ambassadors for the Village of Bellaire – on behalf of longtime program sponsor, the Bellaire Chamber of Commerce – pageant veterans Lisa Rathke and Stacy Belanger recently stepped up to serve as co-directors. Both are making final preparations for the celebration, which is now scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 in the Performing Arts Center at Bellaire High School.

The fact that the program is now in solid hands came as a welcome relief to Davies, who reflected on her tenure last week.

“Wow, I’m not really sure where to begin” she said. “It feels like I just embarked on this journey and now it’s coming to an end.

“I have always felt that the Miss Bellaire Scholarship program offers such great leadership opportunities for the young women in our community. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience to be Miss Bellaire and to represent the place we call home. I’m most proud that the Miss Bellaire Scholarship Program has awarded $33,250 in educational scholarships to 74 winners since 2003!”

Davies was quick to note that the scholarship program is a “complete” group effort.

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