Pageant Participants Honored for Volunteer Work

Participants in the Miss Dacula pageant program were recently recognized at the 66th annual Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) state conference. The Miss Dacula pageant representatives were honored for their volunteer work and accomplishments within the Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation division. Each year, GRPA honors members, agencies and volunteers for outstanding work and accomplishments.

The Miss Dacula pageant representatives are part of a service organization for girls ages preschool through high school. The goal of this organization is to instill leadership skills and service within those who choose to participate. In the past six years, these pageant participants have donated in excess of 1,000 volunteer hours to Gwinnett County Park and Recreation programs and, since 2006, Miss Dacula representatives have logged over 22,000 hours of community service.

Originally, only those who were crowned as Miss Dacula took part in the service program, but over the years the program has expanded to include any pageant participant. The program offers members various volunteer opportunities and these girls serve as honorary ambassadors for the Dacula community.

Dawn Siska, director of the Miss Dacula Pageant and founder and director of the Miss Dacula program said she is awed and humbled by the young people in the Dacula community who give of themselves and serve.

"These girls serve with amazing grace, joy and humility," Siska said. "They are not looking for praise and recognition; there is truly joy in this journey for them. We have such extraordinary young people in our community and being part of this program and seeing these girls step up to make a difference is a beautiful thing to behold. For anyone interested in this program I would like for them to know our organization is all about the girl next door who wants to make a difference.”

A Gwinnett County Park and Recreation Department press release describes these young ladies as “shining examples of young Gwinnett citizens working for the betterment of the community.” 

“These young ladies have taken the lead in providing excellent service to the community at large and allowing the GCPR to offer many programs they otherwise could not due to minimal staffing,” said GCPR officials in the release.

For more information about the Miss Dacula pageant progam, visit the program’s website. The next Miss Dacula pageant is scheduled for March 2012. Registration will open in January and 100 percent of the funds raised go to the Dacula High School PTSA.

Do you know of an outstanding child, teen, team or club? Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to Kristi.Reed@Patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information:

●      Name of child, teen, team or club

●      Age or grade level

●      School

●      Child, teen, team or club accomplishment

●      Key to success