It's been a very busy year so far already, but as busy as we have all been, it's been equally rewarding. We hit the ground running early with fundraising, between our Marketplace Mother's Day gift wrapping, CSU meat tasting, Union Club Hotel Friday night raffles, and even more. 

This month sees us reflecting on our Trivia Night and our soon to be held Masquerade Ball. We could not have asked for a better turn out to our first event, we expected 100 people and on the night managed to fill the room with over 200 guests who were ready to put their brains to the test, and battle it out in dance challenges and musical chairs. Our Monochrome Masquerade Ball will be a night filled with delicious food from the Wagga RSL Club, infectious music from the incredible Australian Army Band Kapooka, and an entertaining live auction hosted by James from Riverina Livestock Agents. 

We are currently selling raffle tickets to our ongoing Major Raffle which has four great prizes available and we are also selling funky socks, very similar to the concept of the Cadbury chocolate fundraiser but thankfully a little bit easier to not eat the whole box. The socks have been a community favourite so far and we have had an exciting arrival of our Father's Day socks! 

Throughout the year so far, I have been absolutely astounded at the generosity of the community, willing to donate their time, money and various items to help us succeed. We are very proud to be supporting four local beneficiaries, Memories for Mia, Pro Patria Centre, Ronald McDonald House Wagga Wagga and Specialist Medical Resources Foundation, who in turn are supporting four very different community groups. 

10 days later....
Our Monochrome Masquerade Ball & the incredible night that was. 

To set the scene... As you walk down the RSL steps and over a luxurious red carpet, to the left is a beautiful big black, white and silver balloon arch framing silver streamers and the photo area. The room is set with elegant black tablecloths, white napkins rolled with thin black ribbon and a delicate white flowered greenery tucked through the middle, ready for each of our 100 guests. A triangle of white candles sits in the middle of the tables with the candle light illuminating the black masks used to decorate them, and a trio of balloons rise high above the tables displaying the table numbers in silver writing on a black balloon, tied to the necks of matte black wine bottles in the table centres. 

I couldn't have asked for a better group of ladies to be a part of the Quest with, it's been a wild but fun ride already and organising these events has so many more moving parts than I could have ever imagined or given credit to. To have the Masquerade Ball be such a success is a credit to every one of them and our teamwork. The auction was a huge feat, we enriched our guests with information on our four beneficiaries and our three sister cities, Kunming, Leavenworth and Nördlingen, and we danced the night away to the incredible Australian Army Band Kapooka. 

So now stay tuned as we get ready for our last event, the High Tea. It is incredible how quickly we are developing our event management and organisation skills, the lessons that we have learned and the way we have adapted and been flexible on the go throughout our time so far. It's crazy and exciting to think it's under 10 weeks until crowning, we've achieved so much already and have so much more we can still do to help our 2023 beneficiaries achieve their projects and goals. 

 - Kate Pevere 
​Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2023 Entrant 

Hello Wagga Wagga! My name is Celine Sharp and I am one of seven Entrants in this year's Miss Wagga Wagga Quest! As a fellow female born and raised in our beautiful city, I took a leap and decided to put myself our there this year, becoming involved in activities and programs that would push me out of my shell.

From giving stand-up paddle boarding a go, and booking my first overseas holiday, I also wanted to further enhance my confidence and community involvement. Being a massive fan of the Miss USA annual competitions, I wanted to give our Miss Wagga Wagga Quest a go. I was pleasantly surprised to find that unlike other 'Quests', the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest is all about community involvement and raising funds for our fabulous beneficiaries! Just the type of opportunity I was hoping for, to put my energy to good use! 

My amazing Beauty Therapist, Debbie Holden, owner of the glamorous Helena's Beauty Therapy, has sponsored me this Quest year, and I could not be more thankful! If you're looking for quality skincare in a relaxing, inclusive environment, be sure to come on down and book an appointment today. 

This month, July 2022, has been a very busy month for us all. On Saturday the 2nd, we held our annual Bunnings BBQ! I was luck enough to string my dad into spending a few hours on the barbeque with me, cooking up a storm, and was very happy to meet some of the other Entrants' families who had also volunteered their time. The day went fabulously and with lots of support from the community, we managed to sell out twice! By the end of the day, dad and I had cooked up 600 sausages total! A Guinness World Record in my book, being a vegetarian and all! 

With our 'Back to School Trivia Night' just weeks away, we had lots and lots of last-minute preparations to complete. Our meetings ran vast into the night, hours flickering by quickly, and lots of last-minute follow ups that needed attending to. With 200 guests lined up, we were very excited, yet very anxious for how our evening would turn out, being our first event and biggest in our plans so far! 

With our beneficiary visits nearly all complete, we were lucky enough to meet with the Specialist Medical Resources Foundation and hear all about the assistance they provide to our Wagga Wagga community. We met like all of our normal Entrant Meetings, at the home of our Gold Sponsor, the Wagga RSL Club! We heard about all of SMRF's exciting shows they have on offer, raising funds that go directly back into our Wagga Wagga community. 

Ash and I had our first on air interview with Alan at 2AAA FM Riverina! We thoroughly enjoyed our time on air with him, ensuring we spoke about all our exciting upcoming events, raffle tickets and funky Jolly Soles socks fundraiser, which had only just begun. Ash and I had some great song requests from our friends and family that we played on air! I was stoked that we also threw in some tunes of Empire of the Sun and Justin Timberlake. 

After a big stretch, the wait and anticipation was over! It was finally the night of our Back to School Trivia. The ladies and I were so fortunate with how seamlessly the night played out! Our Trivia Rounds were a blast, intermission games a massive hit, and our decorations all looked amazing. Ash and I were so happy with our efforts put into decorating our photo area. Clare and Lindsay did an amazing job in tallying up all scores for the night, with most guests rocking the theme, wearing nostalgic 'Book Week' attire throughout the event. Another massive thank you to the Rules Club for their generosity in waiving all fees for our room for the night! 

With only a few weeks until our Monochrome Masquerade Ball is underway, I better get back to the boardroom and doodle up a few more ideas! I hope to see you there! 

 - Celine Sharp 
Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2023 Entrant 

Through the month of June, Entrants have visited one of the beneficiaries and done a lot of planning for our events. 

We visited one of our beneficiaries, the Defence Shed and Pro Patria. We were fortunate to have Jason Frost show us around both facilities and explain about their amazing work, and how they provide holistic care and support for veterans, first responders and their families. We are beyond proud to be able to assist, and can't wait to see the new kitchen once it is re-designed and renovated. 

A few of us had a fabulous time at the Memories for Mia Trivia Night, and took away some fantastic ideas for our Back to School Trivia Night which will be held on Friday 29 July. 

Entrants spent Friday evenings selling meat tray raffle tickets at the Union Club Hotel, we were so grateful for this opportunity to raise funds and meet different community members. 

Ash had a beautiful night representing the Quest Entrants at the Amie St Clair Melanoma Trust Fundraising Ball. 

We continued interviews with Leigh at 2MMM talking about the Quest and our upcoming events throughout the year. 

The Entrants have also been meeting every Sunday at the Wagga RSL Club (our Gold Sponsor for the Quest), talking about all our fabulous events coming up. 

Haylee was also fortunate to be at the Rock Golf Club during their 27 Hole Men's Tournament where many donations were made towards our fundraising efforts. 

The Miss Wagga Wagga Quest is a great way to better your skills and get yourself out into the community and also meet some great people that you have shared the whole experience with. 
I would like to thank Mr Lawerence and Hide Steak & Bar for sponsoring me in the Quest this year. 

 - Marnie Gilmore 
Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2023 Entrant

Hello, I am Ashlee Janic. 

I often get asked how do you find the time in your busy schedule to be an Entrant in the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest? A wise man once told me, give a busy person a job and they will always find time. That is me! I have a very busy schedule, but I always find time for the fun things we have all been up to. 

In May we all pulled together heading down to the Wagga Wagga Marketplace to gift wrap for Mothers Day. We were able to rally together friends, family members and the wonderful Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Committee to come down and help out where they could. This was our first fundraiser, and a few days later we were out at CSU for a Meat Tasting. Organising 60 people to sit down and taste meat for an hour, we held a raffle and lucky door prize. This is where two people won a ticket to our upcoming Trivia Night on Friday 29 July. 

We sold meat raffle tickets at the Union Club Hotel on Friday nights in May and June. This was an excellent way for us to meet the public and get to know each other a bit better. 

While all these exciting things were going on, I was the third Entrant up to talk to Leigh from 2MMM where we discussed all things MWWQ. This was fun, but also a learning curve for myself. While microphones scare me "who knows why" but I was sitting there talking and everything came with ease. 

One question Leigh asked was, "why did you join the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest?" And this was simple. I joined the Quest for 2023 after watching the self-growth and confidence in the girls throughout the events I attended in support of Jessikah McCarthy last year. 

While at the Trivia, the second time I had met Ali Tanner, she walked up to me and said "you'd be a fabulous Entrant next year" and I was quick to say "oh no I don't think its for me". Both Jess and Ali smiled and responded, "we'll see". 

Lying in bed one night I got thinking to myself what do I want to achieve next year and I jumped on the computer and filled out the application. There was no going back then as when I commit to something I don't back out. 

I am very grateful for my choice, as this has been the most amazing journey so far. 

I have now made life long friends with these girls who I call family. My personal confidence has grown so much over these past few months and I can't wait to see where the rest of the Quest takes me and offers to us all. 

 - Ashlee Janic 
Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2023 Entrant