Alainna Widdifield is crowned 2017 Fathoms O’ Fun royalty queen

Mackenzie Wright and Jamison Folden named princesses for the 2017 court

By Sara Miller • March 4, 2017 7:35 pm

Tags: South Kitsap

PORT ORCHARD — Alainna Widdifield is the 2017 Fathoms O’ Fun Royal Court Queen.

Widdifield was anointed her new role at the 50th annual Fathoms O’ Fun Scholarship Pageant March 4 at Christian Life Center in Port Orchard.

Widdifield’s platform for the pageant was “Coral Reefs and How We Affect the Ocean.”

Mackenzie Wright and Jamison Folden were named princesses. Three contestants were named junior princesses: Hailey Chambard, Veronica Mihai and J’Elaine Wall. Hannah Lai, named duchess for 2017, will help guide the new royal court through their duties this year.

The show opened with the contestants introducing themselves during a dance number to “I’ve Got the Magic in Me” by B.o.B, which just so happened to be this year’s pageant theme.

Sheila Cline, Gary Simpson, Kristine Cowen, Matt Flores and Matt Murphy served as the pageant’s judges this year. Bob Smith of the Port Orchard Independent judged the contestants’ essays.

This year’s pageant was dedicated to Jessie Turner, a long-time Fathoms board member and Port Orchard community volunteer. Turner passed away Feb. 21 from cardiac arrest.

The pageant this year was different from events in the past because the pool of eligible candidates was opened up to include those from the Gig Harbor School District, as well as those from Port Orchard. The other change implemented was that the age bracket of contestants was adjusted with the South Kitsap School District’s grade reconfiguration. Students in grades 6-8 competed in the junior category. Contestants in grades 9 through 20 years of age competed in the senior category.

After introducing themselves, the candidates took turns answering questions about their lives and views of their community. They demonstrated their talents for the packed audience before the current junior royalty court gave their final walk as Fathoms princesses.

Talents included piano and saxophone solos, a clarinet performance of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme song, an original ukelele song dedicated to a contestant’s grandfather, song and dance numbers, a comedy act and even a presentation of one contestant’s drawing skills.

“We’ve all grown a lot through this whole process,” the royal court’s organizer, Helene Jensen, said. “I feel like Old Mother Hubbard who lives in the shoe and has so many kids, she doesn’t know what to do. Because all the courts, new and past, feel like my children.”

Other awards included the Soroptimist Community Service Award, which went to Jaycee Baumer and Widdifield; Debbie Macomber Essay Award, to Widdifield; the Top Sponsor Sales award, to contestant Cory Miller; the Best Oral Essay, to Wright; the Spirit Award, to Chambard; Best Formal Wear, to Anastasiya Siliverstova, who also won the Congeniality Award; and the Best Talent Award, to Widdifield for her ukelele performance.