Miss Polonia Pageant History |
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The Miss Polonia Pageant in Rochester dates back to the 1930s. The first contest was organized by the Polish Dramatic Club under the guidance of Dr. Alysius Smeja and held on May 14, 1932. Marie Kujawa Maxwell was selected from among 30 contestants and went on to represent the Polish Community in the city's Lilac
Festival.
In 1933, the Polonia Civic Centre, the umbrella organization of the Rochester Polish Community, assumed sponsorship of the event. However, our historic records do not show any further Miss Polonia Pageants until the early 1950s when the Polish Army Veterans and their Ladies Auxiliary re-established the event and continued to sponsor it through the early 1980s. At that time the Polish Women's Alliance under the direction of Mrs. Gabriela Jaskot took the initiative to continue the tradition. In 1934, the year of the City of Rochester's Centennial, the Miss Polonia Pageant took place as part of the Polonia Civic Centre's Annual Charity Ball held at the Elk's Club on February 8th. In 1935 the Pageant was held at Benjamin Franklin High School's Athletic Field to mark the 50th anniversary of the Polish Community in Rochester. In 1988, the Polonia Civic Center again became the sponsor. Their leadership spanned nearly 15 years when in 2002, they welcomed co-sponsorship for the Pageant with the Polish Heritage Society of Rochester. Twelve contestants competed for the honor of being Miss Polonia 2002. Over 250 people attended the event, held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Rochester. Miss Christine Walker, a student at Rochester Institute of Technology, was crowned Miss Polonia. |
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