Fife High School

2011 Daffodil Festival Royal Court
Sarah Brauneis
Spanaway Lake High School
2011 Daffodil Queen
Claire Flemming
Curtis High School
Monica Gallucci
Puyallup High School
Rio Marquez-Hammitt
Erin Matthews
Krista Nunnally
Makel Ortiz
Sarah Piek
Lakes High School
Franklin Pierce High School
Orting High School
Sumner High School
Rogers High School
23 Senior girls are selected from their high schools each year to represent Pierce County
with grace, elegance and by example.
Nichele Bunch
Kelsey Carder
Jordan Davis
Shawnice Davis
Whitney Franks
Washington High School
Cascade Christian High School
Eatonville High School
Clover Park High School
Fife High School
Bianca Gonzaga
Kori Hinkle
Marissa Jay
Payton Jensen
Chelsea Kem
Henry Foss High School
Graham-Kapowsin High School
Bethel High School
Bonney Lake High School
Wilson High School
Alexandra Schuster
Katie Smith
Wynonna Swift
Charley Williams
Sophie Williams
Emerald Ridge High School
Lincoln High School
Chief Leschi High School
Mt. Tahoma High School
Stadium High School
Establishing our brand by
Serving our Community
FOCUS: Supplementing
78 years of tradition
with well-trained young
women that understand
their purpose in the
community
BY MEREDITH LAWRENCE
The princesses of this year’s
Daffodil Festival are not only the ambassadors of Pierce County, they are
members of a community service organization, ready to serve their community.
Over the previous years as appearances by the princesses dwindled, they began to be associated
only with the Daffodil Parade. This
year, the festival wishes to reestablish these young women as representatives of the county.
“If they are going to be ambassadors of this county, then let’s start
behaving like it,” said Steve James,
Chief Branding Officer.
This year, the festival has taken
steps to bring the princesses out into
the public eye and to establish them
as ambassadors of the community.
“By having them out in the community and be being around community leaders, they learn to be
better leaders themselves,” said Ron
Jensen, festival president.
The girls learn about their community while giving back to it, he
said.
“I feel that by exposing the girls
to the community service we’re educating them,” said Susan McGuire,
the festival’s president elect for 2012.
This year, the girls have appeared at store grand openings, in
libraries reading to children, at Boys
and Girls Clubs, at South Hill Mall
events, the Point Defiance Zoo, have
worked at the Emergency Food Network and in many other community
organizations.
“We are creating more of an
awareness of the Daffodil Festival,”
Jensen said.
The princesses will continue
to appear at community events
throughout the year. The goal is to
make the festival a year-round event,
James said.
Establishing
Est
Es
E
stab
st
ta
abl
ab
blish
bl
issh
is
hing
in am
a
ambassadors
ba sadors
bas
orrs off Pierce County
“We want people to realize that
the Daffodil Festival is more than just
a parade … We want these girls to be
role models of service to the community,” McGuire said.
This year, the princesses have
worked closely with many of the
younger members of the community,
modeling for them the communityoriented behavior which they should
pass onto the next generation.
“I think that we are developing
some strong leaders for our future,”
said Brad Stevens, the festival’s 2009
president.
Already the princesses have inspired children to read, to do their
homework and to become princesses, James said. The princesses have
princess trading cards, which encourage them to find out where the
princesses will be and to learn more
about the festival.
“And we’re finding that a lot of
kids are following us from event to
event,” he said.
This kind of progressive marketing has helped the festival reestablish itself and the Daffodil brand,
Stevens said.
In addition to benefiting the
community, the princesses’ steps out
into the community offer the girls a
strong set of tools and values to carry
into the rest of their life.
“It was a big trick for these girls.
They’re thinking they’re going to
serve the community and it ends up
gifting them even more,” James said.
As the girls move out into the
community, they are beginning to be
seen as more than just a princess in a
yellow dress. Often they are in plain
clothes and not wearing their signature dresses, and they are simply
serving their community and standing as role models for the youth.
“These are girls who are very
intelligent, they have a lot to offer,”
McGuire said.
This year, before the princesses
began appearing in the community,
they went through extensive training, including for the first time, a
Toastmasters course, called Talk of
the Town, designed to prepare the
princesses to be able to communicate with the public.
“The girls seemed to really enjoy
it and it’s something they’ll be able
to use for the rest of their lives,” McGuire said.
The girls were evaluated by
trained professionals on every aspect
of public speaking and trained to
be able to give prepared four to five
minute speeches as well as to speak
for over a minute on an impromptu
topic.
“Toastmasters helped me become more comfortable in front of
larger audiences. The immediate
feedback and critique was tremendously valuable,” said this year’s Festival Queen, Claire Flemming.
“The purpose was not to have
them become great orators, but as
ambassadors they would have to be
comfortable speaking to a variety of
audiences,” James said.
Flemming was not an isolated
case and many of the girls spoke
much more naturally and comfortably at coronation, he said.
“Toastmasters has helped me
so much,” said Krista Nunnally, this
year’s Orting High School princess.
Nunnally used to shake and
loose her train of thought when she
gave a speech, she said. The Queen’s
Coronation was the first time in her
life she did not feel nervous speaking
in front of a large audience.
“Toastmasters has really given
me the knowledge and initiative to
slowdown and speak clearly,” she
said.
Stevens’ daughter was a princess
and he still hears from many past
princesses. All of them have been
impressed by this year’s changes.
“Every one of them has said,
‘gosh I wish we could have done
that,’ they realize that it’s an experience that would have really benefited them,” Stevens said.
Throughout the year, the princesses will be out in the community,
welcoming people at events and inspiring youth. Look for them at places like this year’s Spring Fair, where
they will be at every gate on opening
day, welcoming people to the fair.
“The goal is to expand our reach
to cover more of the county. As we
redevelop our position as ambassadors, we continue to plant seeds and
exert our influence. Pretty soon we
won’t have to, people will expect it,”
James said.
DAFFODILFESTIVALNET
3PECIAL$AFFODIL&ESTIVAL)NSERT
READ with a Princess program inspires
$AFFODIL&ESTIVALsS5
Join us on April 16th
26 Library Locations
Pierce County Libraries
Tacoma Public Libraries
Bonney Lake
11am
18501 90th St. E
Bonney Lake, WA 98391
Fern Hill
11am
765 South 84th Street
Tacoma, WA 98444
Buckley
123 S River Ave
Buckley, WA 98321
Kobetich
3pm
212 Brown’s Point Blvd.. NE
Tacoma, WA 98422
1pm
DuPont
1pm
1540 Wilmington Dr.
Dupont, WA 98327
Moore
3pm
215 South 56th Street
Tacoma, WA 98408
Eatonville
11am
205 Center St. W
Eatonville, WA 98328
Mottet
3523 East G Street
Tacoma, WA 98404
Gig Harbor
11am
4424 Point Fosdick Dr. NW
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
South Tacoma
1pm
3411 South 56th Street
Tacoma, WA 98409
Graham
9202 224th St. E
Graham, WA 98338
Swasey
7001 Sixth Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98406
1pm
Key Center
1pm
8905 Key Peninsula Hwy N
Lakebay, WA 98349
Daffodil Princess Krista Nunnally reads to children at the Sumner Library as part of the Pierce County Library’s
READ with a Princess Program. The program continues monthly throughout the summer.
EDUCATION: Royalty
partner with the
library system to
benefit children in
Pierce County
BY MEREDITH LAWRENCE
For hundreds of children
throughout Pierce County, this year’s
Daffodil Festival Court offered a
once-in-a-life-time experience: the
chance to read with a real princess.
Twice this year the princesses
have visited the 18 libraries in Pierce
County Library Systems to read to
children. The princesses will appear
in the libraries again on April 16th.
“Personally I love it, because I
love kids and I love interacting with
them,” said Sarah Piek, this year’s
Rogers High School Princess.
Interacting with the community
at the libraries has been rewarding
and fun, she said. She has learned a
lot about interacting with children.
“We get to be the leaders rather
than just observing what’s going on,”
Piek said.
From the parent’s prospective,
having the princesses read to the
children is exciting and encourages
the children to read.
“Well they love princesses and
we’re at the library all the time … it’s
combining their two favorite things,”
said Matt Deboer, father of twin sixyear-old girls who listened to the
princesses reading at the South Hill
Library.
The twins stared open mouthed
as Piek read a book titled “Muncha!
Muncha! Muncha!” The looks on
these kids’ faces is a common one
when the princesses are reading,
said Steve James, chief branding officer for the Daffodil Festival.
“They just have this awe and
amazement when they watch them
read, some occasions they crawl up
on their lap,” he said.
The next time the children come
across the books that are read to
them, they will remember their experience and it will have a special
meaning, James said.
James’ three-year-old son, who
spends a lot of time with the princesses has even stopped associating
ball gowns with Disney princesses.
“Every time he sees a yellow
dress he associates it with a Daffodil
Princess… it’s not Belle from Beauty
and the Beast, it’s a daffodil princess,” James said.
Bringing the princesses into the
language-rich environment of the library has been a wonderful way to
connect with the community and to
further encourage children to read,
said Judy Nelson, director of youth
services for Pierce County Library
Systems.
“We love being able to connect
with the community this way, the
princesses are a valued community
Princess Shawnice Davis reads to a child at the Lakewood Library as she works on her craft project.
asset,” she said.
Nelson’s staff have reported to
her that both children and parents
love having the princess in the
libraries.
“We love that they’re doing the
reading because we like to tie all the
positives in the world to reading,”
Nelson said.
The children get very involved in
the reading. They do everything from
climb on the princesses laps to dancing and making animal noises, said
Princess Monica Gallucci of Puyallup
High School.
Getting the princesses out into
the libraries offers them the opportunity to interact more with the public, said Karen Baskett, a chaperon.
Baskett was the festival president in
2010 and a Queen Mom from 19982002.
“They’re teaching the kids and
talking to them, it is an educational
opportunity,” she said, “it gives the
girls a chance to meet with all age
groups.”
After the reading, the princesses
often do an art project where they
interact more closely with the children. Some of the children who have
been more shy open up as they get
to interact one-on-one with the princesses.
For the princesses and the festival staff it is essential to get children
involved in this way and to show
them what the Daffodil Festival is
about.
“They’re the future,” Piek said.
Lakewood
1pm
6300 Wildaire Rd. SW
Lakewood, WA 98499
Milton/Edgewood 1pm
900 Meridian Ave. E., Suite 29
Milton, WA 98354
Orting
1pm
202 Washington Ave S
Orting, WA 98360
Parkland/Spanaway 11am
13718 Pacific Ave S
Tacoma, WA 98444
South Hill
15420 Meridian E
Tacoma, WA 98446
1pm
Steilacoom
1pm
2950 Steilacoom Blvd.
Steilacoom, WA 98388
Summit
11am
5107 112th St. E
South Hill, WA 98375
Sumner
11am
1116 Fryar Ave
Sumner, WA 98390
Tillicum
11am
14916 Washington Ave SW
Lakewood, WA 98498
University Place
11am
3609 Market Place W.
University Place, WA 98466
Puyallup Public Library
Puyallup
11am
324 South Meridian
Puyallup, WA 98371
3pm
3pm
Wheelock
11am
3722 North 26th Street
Tacoma, WA 98407
*SPECIAL DAY April 17th
Tacoma Main
3pm
1102 Tacoma Avenue South
Tacoma, WA 98402
DAFFODILFESTIVALNET
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DAFFODILFESTIVALNET
Two proud Organizations with the same goals in mind
How repacking more
than 14,000 pounds
of potatoes fits into
the core values of the
Daffodil Festival
Bianca Gonzaga is welcomed back to the Al Davies
Boys and Girls club by an excited fan.
Daffodil Princess Kelsey Carder poses for a photo after two hours of activities at the Henry T. Schatz Hope Center in Tacoma.
MENTORSHIP:
Princesses provide
role models, homework help, at Pierce
County Boys and
Girls Clubs
BY MEREDITH LAWRENCE
This year, 23 Daffodil princesses
are reaching out into the community
and becoming positive role models
for hundreds of children.
One such visit has been to the
Pierce County Boys and Girls Clubs,
where the princesses have attended
homework and study sessions and
helped out with regular programs.
“They’ve been a great assistance
to our club,” said Kyle Eggenberger,
program director for the Al Davies
Branch Boys and Girls Club in Tacoma.
Three times in March, the princesses have come to the club’s program called “power hour” in which
the children have a chance to get
their homework done with help from
staff. The princesses assisted with
homework and in some cases moved
on to help with other activities.
“It’s been a great experience for
all, and a positive influence outside
of our daily staff and mentors,” Eggenberger said.
Nichele Bunch spends time helping a table of kids with that day’s homework at the Lakewood Hope Center in
Lakewood. The center has a structured schedule of events each day which includes time for work and play.
The princesses carry themselves
in a very polite and respectful manner which adds to the positive connection the princesses make with
club members, he said.
At the Lakewood Hope Center
Boys and Girls Club, some of the children connected with the princesses
so strongly that they followed them
around, asking where they were going next, said Program Director Juan
Madera.
“You can just tell by the way they
welcome you in that they really need
you,” said Chelsea Kem, this year’s
Wilson High School princess.
The children Kem has worked
with are eager to hear and interact
with the princesses, she said.
“Overall I think the kids they
came in contact with, it was very
beneficial,” Madera said.
When visitors from outside
groups like the Daffodil Festival or
the Boy Scouts visit, Madera said, the
children form an impression based
on the connection they had with the
individuals from that organization.
Because the children had positive interactions with the princesses, they
wanted to know more about the program.
“It’s inspired a lot of our girls to
attend the Daffodil Parade and to inquire more to see what the daffodil
princess program is about,” Eggenberger said.
Additionally, Eggenberger said,
the children got to hear about what
the princesses are doing in their lives
and where they are going to college.
“It’s had a real impact on our
younger girls because they see that
they can achieve that as well,” he
said.
Hearing about what the princesses are doing in school and making a connection with the princesses,
provides the children with an example to follow, Madera said.
“I feel like we are the big sisters
they never had,” princess Kem said.
The girls get to be role models
for the children and to share their
own achievements with the club
members.
“I think that it rubs off on these
kids for sure,” Madera said.
Madera encourages groups like
the Daffodil Princesses to come to
the Boys and Girls Club and connect
with the children. Even if they connect with just a few children, he said,
it makes a difference.
“They’ve been a great influence,
especially to our younger members
who are female,” Eggenberger said.
Chelsea Kem listens to an animated story during
snack time at the Al Davies Club in Tacoma.
Lakewood - On a Saturday packed
with appearances across the county,
one more was packed into the city of
Lakewood. The Daffodil Princesses
walked into the Emergency Food
Network, took off their tiaras and
got to work.
This day, they would take
more than 14,000 pounds of potatoes and repack them into three
pound bags to be distributed
across the county.
It is important that we do the
work so we can know what we are
talking about, said Princess Katie
Smith from Lincoln High School.
“It is a way that we can serve
and then highlight this organization whenever we travel and talk to
people. It’s also a way to show the
community that we are not just
girls that walk around in big poufy
dresses, we actually want to work
and help the community in many
ways,” Smith said.
Each month in Pierce County,
more than 140,000 people seek
emergency food assistance. EFN
provides food and other essentials
at no cost to over 65 food banks,
hot meal sites and shelters for distribution to low-income families
and individuals.
To get more information
about donating or volunteering at
the Emergency Food Network, go
to www.efoodnet.org or call them
at (253) 584-1040.
DAFFODILFESTIVALNET
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$AFFODIL&ESTIVALsS9
Raising money for the Festival while serving the area’s leading businesses
SPONSORSHIP:
Daffodil Festival
looking for Business
Partners
BY MEREDITH LAWRENCE
ESTABLISHING A PARTNERSHIP
This year, the Daffodil Festival
is reaching out into the community,
reestablishing the princesses as ambassadors of Pierce County and developing a connection with the business community.
The Daffodil Festival has embraced an approach by which both
the sponsor and the Daffodil Festival
benefit throughout the year, with no
complicated levels of partnership.
“The business partners will provide the festival with a much needed
financial backing and then it is our
job to return their investment in
ways that other non-profits might
not be able to,” said Steve James,
Chief Branding Officer for the organization.
The festival has been testing this
program this year with its four initial
partners: Apple Physical Therapy,
Korum Automotive Group, MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital and
the South Hill Mall.
Each one of these businesses
has a large sphere of influence and
is committed to supporting community organizations like the Daffodil
Festival.
“The program was inspired in
part by the four men leading these
organizations. I have known each of
them for some time and they all have
big hearts and care deeply about the
community. It is a perfect fit for us,”
James said.
Sarah Piek reads to the kids at South Hill Mall’s Play
Area to a crowd of kids and parents. Princesses
Marissa Jay and Krista Nunnally provide additional
seats for two of the girls.
GIVING BACK TO THE SPONSOR
From grand openings to company fundraisers, the festival will be
there to support a community partner however that sponsor chooses.
“When I approached our initial
partners with this concept, I asked
them what they would want in return for their financial support. I
think they were used to getting hit
up for money and being asked again
12 months later. I told them that the
festival would provide each of their
companies a fantastic return investment and it would now serve alongside of them when needed,” James
said.
This season, the princesses have
appeared at several events for these
initial sponsors, including the Grand
Opening of the Good Samaritan Hospital’s new Patient Care Tower.
“They were the welcoming committee…they certainly helped us
achieve that sense of community…
and for God’s sake, everyone from
kids to seniors loves a princess,” said
Jamie Gregory, Major Gift Officer for
Good Samaritan.
The festival exists for the same
reasons as Good Samaritan, Gregory
said, because of the community and
to serve the community.
“Which is the same reason it
seems like a pretty natural alliance,”
he said.
At the Grand Opening, Gregory
recalled the excitement and surprise
of one of the donors when he realized that the princesses were present.
“He said, ‘look the princesses
are here. Did we know they were going to be here?” Gregory said.
The princesses represent Pierce
County and residents recognize
them as symbols of the community,
James said.
“In a sense we are working for
our sponsorship money while main-
Daffodil Princesses Makel Ortiz, Payton Jensen, Whitney Franks, Kelsey Carder, Charly Williams, Wynonna Swift, Monica Gallucci and Krista Nunnally stand at the entrance
to Good Samaritan Hospital. Daffodil Princesses were the first ones to greet over 4,000 people at the Grand Opening of the Patient Care Tower in Puyallup.
taining our capacity as ambassadors
of this county,” he said.
The princesses have also appeared at events for another community partner, the South Hill Mall.
“They’re wonderful representatives, people love to see them, children adore them,” said David Montevideo, leasing representative for
South Hill Mall.
The festival is one of the unique
characteristics of Pierce County, one
which not many other counties have
and which it is important to support,
Montevideo said.
“Daffodil Festival is one of those
unique partners that no-one should
ignore,” he said.
Not only is the Daffodil Festival a unique organization, but it is
a wonderful tradition, which unifies
the community and provides amazing educational opportunities for
the princesses, said Randy Johnson,
CEO and Founder of Apple Physical
Therapy.
“It highlights all the great things
about Pierce County,” he said.
As a child, Johnson loved the parade.
“I think it’s a great thing that we
need to keep building back up to
what it was, or even better,” he said.
This summer the princesses will
be a part of Apple Physical Therapy’s
annual Apple Kids Cup, a golf tournament which raises money for
Young Life. Johnson is committed to
supporting the community and enjoys being associated with the Daffodil Festival because the connection
illustrates this community support.
“It’s one of the many ways that
we say thank you to our community
for supporting our company,” he
said.
GROWING A SPONSORSHIP BASE
For the 2012 year, the festival
plans to represent 20-25 community
partners.
To help reach this goal, the festival is looking for community partRandy Johnson, CEO and Founder of Apple Physical
Therapy stops at the Daffodil Festival weekend at
the South Hill Mall for a picture with Princess Kelsey
Carder from Cascade Christian High School.
ners who will sponsor the festival
for the set amount of $5,000, in exchange for the availability and support of the Daffodil Festival Royalty.
“I am looking for the companies
that value the community that they
operate in. Businesses that share our
core values and would love to be associated with all of the goodwill that
will come with being associated with
the Daffodil Festival,” said James.
The festival’s move to intentionally be visible in the community is
long overdue, Gregory said. Making
the princesses available to the community allows the festival to remain
an integral part of Pierce County.
“To ensure their viability in this
community for the long term, they
have to have these kinds of commitments and MultiCare Good Samaritan is certainly prepared to make
them,” he said.
So far, Gregory said, the partnership has been a wonderful benefit to
MultiCare Good Samaritan.
“The areas that the girls represent are the areas that Good Samaritan represents…it is great to have
such wonderful, articulate girls representing us,” he said.
(For more information or to become one
of the new partners, call Steve James at
the Daffodil Festival office. 253-840-4194)
3PECIAL$AFFODIL&ESTIVAL)NSERT
S10s$AFFODIL&ESTIVAL
DAFFODILFESTIVALNET
Educators
of the Year
Sponsors
Pierce County Mustang Club
Jaguar of Fife
Lexus of Tacoma at Fife
Sylvan Learning Centers
School and Teacher
Henry Foss High School
Erica Green
Franklin Pierce High School
Michael McCormick
Fife High School
Andrew Giddings
Emerald Ridge High School
Cami Devereux
Washington High School
Maria Presswood
Chief Leschi High School
Laura Koval
Lincoln High School
Julie Somers
Lakes High School
Marcy Schafer
Rogers High School
Rod Iverson
Clover Park High School
Dan Million
Orting High School
Jacki Backus
Wilson High School
Samantha Hollingsworth
In a volunteer organization like the Daffodil Festival, thousands of hours are spent putting the festival together.
This list isn’t an attempt to be complete and wouldn’t possibly include everyone deserving of our gratitude.
Major Festival Sponsors
Festival Donors, cont.
Royalty Sponsors
Queen Moms
Apple Physical Therapy
City of Sumner
City of Tacoma
Emerald Queen
Fife Sand & Gravel
Images & Events
Johnson-Cox Printing
Korum Automotive Group
Multicare
South Hill Mall
Diamond Daffodil - $500 Donors
Dellinger, Scott & Sue
Fircrest Country Club
Hayes Jean
Hust, Sandy
Jensen, Ron & Mary Ann
Kiros Diamond Specialty (in-part)
Knutson Farms
Marquez-Hammitt, Robert & Julia
McGuire, Susan
Nordstrom
Robertson, Linda
Sharon Wesenberg
South Hill Mall
Stevens, Brad & Sherry
Tacoma Yacht Club
Tacoma Yacht Club Shipmates
Wekell, Connie
Susan Hulbert & Kelly Thieman
Festival Donors
King Alfred - $1,000 Donors
Borovich, Fred & Vicki
Images & Events
Korum for Kids
Stephens Enterprises Inc.
Whaley, Glenn & Carol
Woodworth, George
Orting Eagles Auxiliary
Petersen Brothers Inc. Employees
Golden Daffodil - $200 Donors
A Picket Fence
Ash (Torkelson), Janice
Gallion, Denise & Don
Johnny’s Dock Restaurant
Nicholsons Pharmacy
Orting Lions Club
Phillips, Gary & Sharon
Retired Tacoma Police Officers
Scholz, Ken & JoAnn
Sudderth, Bob & Anita
Symonds, Agusta
Wesenberg, Sharon
Royalty Chaperones
Arnold, Bonnie | Baskett, Karen
Brauneis, Karen | Cooley, Debbie
Dellinger, Susan | Dellinger, Maili
Flemming, Martha | Franks, Barb
Gallucci, Rhonda | Gimmestad, Lisa
Guimond, June | Hawks, Nella
High, Terese | Hudson, Sue
Hulbert, Susan | Hust, Sandy
Jensen, Mary Ann | Lanoce, Lori
Marquez-Hammitt, Juliet
Martin, Sherri | Martin, Sara
McCallum-Stott, Darlene
Robertson, Linda | Schuster, Jeanette
Smith, Judy | Stambaugh, Tina
Sudderth, Anitra | Swick, Shannon
Thieman, Kelly | Turner, Dianna
Wekell, Connie
Westmark, Lorraine | Wood, Debbie
Eatonville High School
Tira Hancock
Stadium High School
Gregg Kasner
Cascade Christian High School
Michele Suiter
Sumner High School
Christopher Clayton
Curtis High School
Judson Miller
Graham-Kapowsin High School
Michael Meray
Bonney Lake High School
Chad Johnson
Spanaway Lake High School
Todd Keister
Puyallup High School
Fred Orton
Mt. Tahoma High School
Calvin McHenry
Bethel High School
Trudy Booth
DAFFODILFESTIVALNET
3PECIAL$AFFODIL&ESTIVAL)NSERT
$AFFODIL&ESTIVALsS11
Festival recieves a major sponsor for the parade
Festival President Ron Jensen, Queen Claire Flemming, and Princess Wynonna Swift receive a major donation from Puyallup Tribal Council Chairman Herman Dillon Sr.
Tacoma - The Emerald Queen Hotel and Casinos have joined with
the Daffodil Festival to sponsor this
year’s Grand Floral Parade on April
9th.
As the presenting sponsor, their
name and logo will be displayed in
conjunction with the Grand Floral
Parade.
The Daffodil Festival’s Traveling
Float crosses the region attending
many festivals. The Emerald Queen
Hotel and Casinos will also be the
sponsor and have their names on all
banners and the float itself.
When the festival season is
over, it is estimated that the Emerald Queen name or logo will seen or
heard over three million times.
“It is a tremendous support of
our festival, and we look forward to
continuing and expanding our business relationship,” said Steve James,
Chief Branding Officer.
“The tribe does a lot for this
community, and the Daffodil Festival is a big part of the community,”
said Mike Kelley, a past president of
the festival.
The Puyallup tribe annually
gives millions to charity, non-profits
and for public projects.
The Daffodil Festival extends its
gratitude to the entire Tribal Council,
the Emerald Queen’s general manager, Frank Wright and John Weymer.
www.emeraldqueen.com
Trading the Daffodil yellow for World Vision orange
Fife - After an inspiring tour through
the World Vision headquarters in
Federal Way, the Daffodil Princesses
headed to Fife for another community service project.
“Before today, I didn’t know
much about World Vision. Now I
want to be involved more with such
an outstanding organization,” said
Shawnice Davis, the Clover Park
princess.
I had no idea that they did so
much for our local community in addition to all of the other countries in
the world, Davis said.
The princesses attended a Fife
location that specializes in supporting teachers in low income school
districts. If their school qualifies, the
teachers can get an endless supply of
materials free of charge.
“I learned about the local needs
in our area. This is something I can
do now to help,” said Krista Nunnally
from Orting.
Krista has wanted to join the
Peace Corp after college. Throughout the tours and speakers, she was
captivated by it all.
“It just opens your eyes to how
The Daffodil Royalty wear the World Vision signature orange for the day working in their Fife location. The location in Fife is one of seven hubs to distribute materials and school supplies to teachers in low income areas.
much you can help,” added Nunnally.
On this day Darlene McCallumStott, the Vice President of Royalty,
was impressed by what she saw in
the girls.
“These are the leaders in their
comunities and this is shaping their
future and vision. They will become more aware of needs here and
abroad, and should be able to inspire
others to volunteer themselves.”
The girls are ready to return this
summer, and this time, they will bring
20 to 30 former princesses with them.
PERSPECTIVE: Daffodil two years later
BY MELANIE STAMBAUGH, 2009 Daffodil Queen
Each year the sights and sounds of our Daffodil Parade bring spring to
life in the faces of children who wait in anticipation to see a pony, a pirate,
or a princess. The Daffodil Parade is a wonderful time honored tradition and
I cherish the opportunity to celebrate our community through the Festival.
The Daffodil Festival is a parade I once marched in, a group of princesses I
traveled with, and has now become a way of life. As royalty I got the chance to
see the Daffodil Festival as more than a parade in April or a bunch of people
wearing yellow dresses and jackets. It is a historic celebration, it’s about relationship, community, and love. Two years after my reign as Daffodil Queen, I
am still reaping the benefits of the Daffodil Festival.
From the outside looking in, being Daffodil Royalty looks like an opportunity to dress up and wear a crown, but I’ve learned that being a princess
and queen is not all about the crown. Really, CROWN is just a 5 letter word,
just like DRESS, TIARA, HEELS, and QUEEN. But all these 5 letter words are
meaningless if I had forgotten the reason why the Daffodil Festival exists, my
favorite five letter word: SERVE. During my time as queen I learned to serve
my community, serve my sister princesses, and serve my smile on a platter
for all to enjoy and be inspired by. Being a Princess is about exuding the heart
of a Princess; being kind, gracious, generous, welcoming, and poised and this
Princess mantra fuels my life at the University of Washington.
Looking back I can see the dynamic transformation my life underwent as
I experienced the love of a community of friends and mentors that have now
become like family. These people continue to be the ones I share my exciting, challenging, and fun moments with. They are the first people I run to for
advice, encouragement, and a good time. Looking forward I see the impact
numerous hours of meeting and speaking with community members and
leading 22 of the most accomplished young ladies in Pierce County afforded
me. I use these skills as I travel with the University of Washington’s Global
Case Competition Team, lead freshman ladies in my sorority, and volunteer
at local high schools. What I learned through Daffodil not only fed my mind,
but it nourished my heart. Now in my community of Seattle and the University of Washington I have the opportunity to share my heart and serve with
the same love and joy the Daffodil Festival exudes.
Thank you to the Daffodil Festival, you have given me an extraordinary
opportunity, the lessons I learned, opportunities I gained, and people I met
continue to have a phenomenal impact on my life. Never will I forget the love
I’ve experienced, joy I’ve shared, or who I’ve become.
PROUD
SUPPORTER
OF THE
TACOMA
THE ENTERTAINMENT
CAPITAL of the
NORTHWEST!
DAFFODIL
PARADE
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