Fresh in the mind of Miss Litchfield Ali Richardson is memories of being a little girl enamored by former Litchfield royalty.
“I remember being like, ‘They are so pretty. Look at their crowns!” Richardson said in June as she reflected on watching parades and coronations as a child. This keen understanding of local royalty’s importance has made Richardson, 19, take her role as Miss Litchfield very seriously.
“I always try to scan a lot so I can look at everyone, especially the little kids, because it really means a lot to them,” she said, about waving to the folks lining a parade route.
Richardson has also used her role as Miss Litchfield to volunteer locally — and has tried earnestly to expand the volunteer opportunities in which local royalty participates.
Since being crowned Miss Litchfield last July, Richardson has attended nearly 20 parades, read to children at Litchfield Public Library and handed out prizes at the Wintercade ice fishing contest. Richardson, who works at Ecumen of Litchfield, also is planning to visit patients at the nursing home and paint the nails of residents.
Beside Richardson at the many parades and community events have been princesses Erika Hart and Emily Schreiber, who were also crowned at last year’s coronation.
The camaraderie amongst her fellow Litchfield royalty members and royalty from other towns has been the most fulfilling part about being Miss Litchfield, Richardson said.
“I’ve started to miss the girls who leave,” Richardson said, referring to other towns’ outgoing royalty members who get replaced by newly crowned royalty. “Once they are done, you don’t see them anymore.”
Richardson said she keeps in touch with some present and former royalty members on social media, such as Facebook or Instagram, but said she will miss the opportunity to meet so many new people once she gives up her reign as Miss Litchfield.
“When they say the time goes fast, it really does, Richardson said of the advice from commodores and former royalty. “It sounds so cliché but it really does.”
Having the opportunity to have her voice heard is another thing Richardson will miss once a new queen is crowned, she said.
“I really like speaking in front of people,” said Richardson, who hopes to major in communications at Ridgewater College in Hutchinson and potentially become a communications professor. “Just having that opportunity to have my voice out there in a different way, other than just theater.”
Richardson has performed in numerous plays and musicals with Litchfield High School and Litchfield Community Theatre, including holding lead roles in “The Sound of Music” at the high school and Litchfield Community Theatre’s performance of “Brigadoon” last summer.
“In theater, you’re supposed to become a different person and I truly do that,” Richardson said. “I’m not myself on stage.
“But this is me,” she added, referring to when she speaks publicly as Miss Litchfield, where she can be herself and share her own ideas.
“Like with meeting all the people, those experiences you just can’t replace,” she said. “Just being as involved as we were, that’s what’s really rewarding to me — having my voice out there and being a good role model.”
Richardson said attending other celebrations’ coronations was her favorite part about being Miss Litchfield, even though they are nerve-wracking.
“I always get nervous when I go to coronations. I’m reliving my emotions and I’m nervous for the other girls. Every time, I’m nervous,” she said. “… Going through something like that changes you.”
Even though Richardson had attended coronations for many years growing up and always admired the candidates and royalty, she wasn’t easily convinced to run herself, she said.
“At first, everybody was telling me to run and so I didn’t want to because everyone was telling me to. And then once they stopped saying anything, I had time to decide for myself. … I love my hometown, too, so it was just kind of a given, like I had to do it,” Richardson said. “I’ve always wanted to do it. I just didn’t want people telling me to do it. I wanted to make the decision on my own.”
Once crowned, Richardson said she was happy knowing she would be spending so much time around her hometown for different community events.
“It made the transition from high school to college much easier because I was still active in my community,” said Richardson, who admitted finding time for both college responsibilities and Miss Litchfield duties was sometimes difficult.
“I need to remind myself to find balance,” she said, adding that attending Ridgewater has allowed her to be flexible with her schedule and attend as many royalty events as possible. “I actually love it. They are very flexible with those things.”
After Richardson’s reign comes to an end — and one of the nine candidates running for Miss Litchfield this year is crowned — Richardson will head to Minneapolis for one week to run as an ambassador in the Minneapolis Aquatennial pageant.
“We had our orientation the sixth of June. I’m nervous. I think about it every day, all the time,” Richardson said. “It’s just an amazing opportunity. The Queen of the Lakes gets to travel all over the country.”
Running in the Aquatennial pageant will allow Richardson to maintain her title as Miss Litchfield for a bit more than one year — and she will savor every minute of it.
“We get to wear our crowns, so I’m still acting as Miss Litchfield a little longer than my reign,” she said. “That’s why I’m not so sad because I’m still looking forward to Aquatennial.”
Richardson, along with her princesses, will attend numerous Watercade events this year, including the Prince and Princess For a Day event, the brat feed, beach party, fireworks, lip sync contest, Art in the Park, parade, ski show and coronation.
Richardson said she is happy that nine candidates are running for the title of Miss Litchfield, and said she has already given them some advice: to be themselves, be poised and be sure to have fun and enjoy the process.
And the girls who aren’t crowned can still give back to their community by volunteering or spend more time involved in athletics or activities in college, Richardson said.
“They’ll pick the right girl,” she said of the judges. “I know they will.”
Copyright 2015 Litchfield Independent Review/Crow River Media/Media News Group.