Leader Publications

To the editor:

Shortly before the new Miss Dowagiac was crowned, Katie Haneberg gave an emotional and heartfelt speech about her year as the 2010 Miss Dowagiac.

Her court stood by her as they have all year and watched as memories of their time together ran on the screen behind them.

There were beautiful pictures of crowns and dresses, but there were also many pictures of giggles and family moments.

This court and their families have started friendships that we hope will continue to grow.

We would like to express our thanks to a few people who have been with us all year …

To the members of the Miss Dowagiac Committee, as we sat at the welcome meeting with panic on our faces at the thought of the crazy year ahead of us, you encouraged us to just relax and have fun.

We would not have been able to make this year a success without your guidance and support. You were by our sides if we had questions and offered support to our daughters who came to consider you part of their Miss Dowagiac family.

You each work tirelessly behind the scenes to give the young ladies of our community the opportunity to participate in such a wonderful event and we commend you for your dedication.

To Scott Rose, we cannot thank you enough for the beautiful memories you created of our daughters.

You have the ability to catch a person’s spirit and make it come to life and our group had many “spirited” moments to offer.

Every picture speaks to the joy these young ladies bring to us every day and we cannot thank you enough for your contribution.

To the Miss Dowagiac directors, each of you holds a special place in our hearts as well as in the hearts of our daughters and they will miss you terribly.

You served as beauty consultants, stand-in moms and guidance counselors. You were there for them rain or shine (literally) and did it with smiles on your faces.

Young adults need positive influences around them and you both are excellent examples of that quality.

We enjoyed spending time with your children and watching you spend time with ours and we were so happy for the arrival of the new baby!

Thank you for your dedication to the Miss Dowagiac program.

To our beautiful daughters, you are four exceptional young women who have represented your community with style and grace.

You each have qualities that together made an unforgettable court and you should be very proud of yourselves. We have no doubt that you will each make a positive mark on this world and look forward to watching your lives play out.  We love you with all our hearts and are proud of the way you each handled yourselves over the past year. Always remember to give back in some way and stop to enjoy the little things on your journey.

To the new Miss Dowagiac and her court, congratulations and good luck. You are in for a wonderful year and we hope that you and your families enjoy the time as much as we have.

We would like to offer our help if ever needed and a few words of advice … relax and have fun.

The families of the 2010 Miss Dowagiac court