The final countdown!
 
Here we are, at the end of our entrant year, we are only days away from the Miss Wagga Wagga 2020 Crowning Ceremony and oh how time flies! My name is Hannah Smith and I will be the last entrant that you will be hearing from this year, next month you will be hearing from our newly crowned Miss Wagga Wagga and Community Princess 2020. This month has been flat out with our final event on the 11th and then tying up all the loose ends before November. It has consisted of writing a lot of thank you letters, preparing for interviews and writing speeches. Thank you everyone that has helped us during the year, whether it was with donations, volunteering your time and in particular your presence at our events.
 
Before I jump into our antics of October, I will quickly tell you a couple of details about myself. I grew up in Wagga Wagga and attended South Wagga Wagga Public School and Kildare Catholic College. In 2016 I made the move to Wollongong to attend the University of Wollongong for 3 years as I attempted to complete a Bachelor of Commerce, I say attempted as it is still a work in progress (I plan on finishing it one day). At the end of 2018 I had the realisation that university was not working for me and moved my life back to Wagga Wagga to be surrounded by family and friends. This was by far the best move I ever made. I was welcomed back into my community with open arms and have been given so many great opportunities. I now work full time for Crown Lands (Department of Planning, Industry and Environment) and have been able to throw myself back into my childhood hobby of playing the cello by rejoining a local strings group at the Riverina Conservatorium of Music. With all of this, there is still one opportunity that takes the cake, becoming a Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Entrant 2020. I have been pushed out of my comfort zone, attended a number of community events and gained so much confidence and experience along the way.
 
Now to tell you all about what we did in October.
 
We started this month with a smashing success, hosting our final fundraising event as a Masquerade Ball at the Magpies Nest Restaurant. After all of our hard work sourcing generous donations, decorating, promoting and choosing menu items it was so rewarding for it to all come together so well and to raise more money towards our beneficiaries. Our live auction went off with a bang all thanks to our guest auctioneer, James Tierney, from Riverina Livestock Agents. Thank you James for your continued support of the Quest, this was not the first auction that you have run for entrants and we hope it won’t be the last.
 
Our Waggawagga.TV interviews with Adam Drummond have continued to be aired. If you missed them they can be found on the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Facebook Page. We heard from myself at the start of the month discussing the Masquerade Ball, Hayley spoke about our Crowning Ceremony and we will hear from Montanna right at the end of the month, reminding everyone to come and celebrate the 72nd Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Crowning at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery on Saturday 2nd November 2019. It is a free public event so we hope to see you all there!
 
Entrants completed their Mock Interviews with members of the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Committee in preparation for the final interviews on the 1st of November. I am sure we all crushed it! There was a lovely moment while the interviews were happening where the majority of entrants were sitting in the RSM waiting room. The atmosphere was so positive and supportive, some had already completed their interview while others were waiting to go in. We were all talking about the year, what we had left to do and how far we had come. The moment accentuated how we have all come together as a group and will be leaving the Quest as friends.
 
This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and the start of next month will be bittersweet, as the next titleholders are announced. It will also marking the end of this incredible journey we have all shared together.
 
- Hannah Smith 
Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2020 Entrant 

Hello everyone! My name is Hayley Wallace and I am one of the Miss Wagga Wagga Entrants for 2020. Now, I do apologise that the ‘September’ blog is late, but us entrants have been busy little bees as the date of crowning creeps closer and closer…

Earlier in the month, the entrants were interviewed by Adam Drummond from Waggawagga.TV. I myself found this quite daunting to begin with (who would have thought little old me would be in front of the camera?!). Luckily, Adam makes you feel incredibly comfortable! It felt like I was just having a chat with him, and honestly forgot we were recording.

On behalf of the other entrants, and myself, I would like to thank Adam and everyone at Waggawagga.TV for being a media partner of the MWWQ. They have allowed us to have the opportunity to show the community of Wagga Wagga what this Quest is all about, as well as get to know us Entrants a little more personally!

Later on in September, on the 8th, the 2020 Entrants spent their whole Sunday clicking tongs and flipping snags at their local Bunnings. We were fortunate enough to have meat, bread, onions, napkins and all those other essentials you need for a good old sausage sanga, donated to us by local businesses… These businesses include:

• South Wagga Butchery
• South City Quality Meats
• Ferndale Distributors
• Coca Cola

A huge thank you to these four companies, as without their contributions we wouldn’t have been able to raise as many funds for our such worthy beneficiaries.

The Entrants spent the rest of September gearing up for their final fundraising event, ‘Masquerade by Moonlight’. We were all busy sourcing decorations, seeking donations for our live and silent auctions, as well as finding new ways to sell tickets to the event, finalising any last minute on-going raffle ticket sales, all while trying to find our own ball gowns and the perfect mask to match!

Before I sign off I would just like to thank everyone who has supported this shy little girl all throughout the year. As it draws to a close (or new beginning…), I have really been able to see that no one really wants you to fail, but only wishes to see you grow into the best form of yourself. I wouldn’t be able to do this without my family, friends, the committee and the sponsorship from Richard at Ladex Construction.

Another very big thank you to the community I am lucky enough to have grown up in, and continue to live in today. Also without you, the Quest would not be in its 72nd year.

I hope to see you at crowning! Xx

- Hayley Wallace
Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2020 Entrant ​

Hello and welcome to the August instalment of the Miss Wagga Quest Entrant Blog.
 
For people who do not know me, my name is Tegan Nash. I am a Wagga girl through and through and wouldn’t have it any other way. My family is quite well known here in the building industry, where my father has built a lot of the iconic buildings here in Wagga. I am also quite a strong advocate in the prevention of Melanoma and early skin detection hence my sponsors Complete Skin & Caton Medical. I cannot thank them enough for sponsoring me in the Quest. 
 
Hence what better reason to join the quest and help much needed charities.
 
In August we hosted our very first High Tea event at the Riverine Club, which was an unbelievable success and turn out. Running of this event helped our beneficiaries get closer in their fundraising.
 
This then saw all of us entrants starting to organise the Bunnings Sausage Sizzle and the Masquerade Ball. We also hosted a few pub meat raffles on a Friday night at the Victoria Hotel.
 
Meetings happens every 2 weeks on a Monday night. It’s not all just about organising events, we like to catch up and see how everyone is going. I personally believe this has helped me in my personal development and seeing how far I have come from the start of the Quest.
 
People say to me all the time; how do you find the time doing this plus working full-time. To me I find it a great challenge but it’s all for a worth cause.
 
Please keep an eye out for our next events.
 
On behalf of all the entrants we thank you for all who have attended an event, sponsored and supported.
 
- Tegan Nash
Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2020 Entrant