December, our second month of being 2024 Titleholders, and we are loving every minute of being out in the community, representing our beautiful hometown. 

Velika and I had the chance to start the month off by attending events in honour of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. We danced the night away at the RDAS Dance Party, where the theme was to dress up as your favourite sports team. The room was filled with so many different colours, and echoed with beautiful singing and dancing. Following this, we attended a morning tea with one of this year's beneficiaries, The Leisure Company, We came together at the Victory Memorial Gardens, interacting with everyone and sharing some delicious treats - the caramel slice was a known favourite! 

Ali, Velika & I got in the Christmas spirit early and headed down to the Wagga Marketplace, spending some days gift wrapping, with the donated funds going towards Ronald McDonald House, another beneficiary from this year. 

A very wholesome experience was assisting at The Salvation Army, with their annual Christmas Gift Giving appeal, this involved meeting parents and helping them fill santa sacks with presents for their children to wake up to on Christmas morning. The room was filled with tables, with things suited for children of all ages, from handmade teddy bears, to donated books and toys. There was something for everyone - the support of the Wagga Wagga community is truly something so special. 

A very rewarding experience we shared together was having the opportunity to visit Ronald McDonald House and receive a tour of the Wagga House. We were shown a presentation of the work that the organisation does, and watched a video from a family who stayed in the Wagga Wagga House. There is so much hard work and dedication from the volunteers behind the scenes to make this organisation so amazing. My favourite part was seeing the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest plaque on one of the rooms in the house. Getting to see this makes you realise just how appreciate of the Quest these local organisations are, and it is a feeling that I cannot explain that we played a part in this. The efforts of all Entrants truly makes an incredible difference in people's lives. That we played a part in this, is a feeling I cannot explain. 

We were lucky enough to be invited to the Mayor's Christmas party, where we came together and interacted with many local community members, learned about their different stories and shared many laughs. Mayor Dallas Tout and his wife Janine provide endless support to the Entrants and the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest and our journey would not be complete without them wanting to see everyone achieve their best. 

Velika and I were humbled to assist at this year's Country Hope Christmas with the Con. The Riverside Precinct was filled with families of all ages, coming together to enjoy carols performed by the Riverina Youth Orchestra along with choirs and soloists from the Riverina Conservatorium of Music. We ended the night with a beautiful firework display over our local Murrumbidgee River, and the lighting of the traditional Country Hope Tree of Hope - something that was so special. 

We wrapped up December with pallets of mangoes, hand picked and delivered to Wagga just in time for Christmas - making a perfect Summer treat. This fundraiser would not have been possible without the staff and space at the Thirsty Crow Brewery. 

On behalf of Velika and I, and the Committee members, we would like to say a massive thank you for the endless support and love shown towards the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest. As Entrants and Titleholders our journey would not have been possible without any of it, and without the kindness and generosity of the Wagga Wagga community.

​We would like to wish you all a very safe and happy Christmas, surrounded by your loved ones, and a very Happy New Year! 

Jess Barclay 
Community Princess 2024 

It is incredible to think that there is only 1 month to go until we fly overseas to visit our Sister City, Leavenworth USA! We are so appreciative of the time and effort that has gone into organising this visit to Leavenworth, and in particular to the Honourable Jermaine Wilson, Mayor of Leavenworth for extending an invitation to visit, and Kristi from the Convention & Visitors Bureau for organising such an extensive Itinerary embracing receptions, social engagements and general hospitality. We have been avidly developing a presentation on the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest and Wagga Wagga to take over and present to Leavenworth Lions Club and Leavenworth Rotary Club during the visit.

To start the month off we made our way to the gorgeous Victory Memorial Gardens to see the Festival of Wagga and to test out our skills at the ice-skating rink. No matter how many photos you see, it does not do it justice! It’s incredible to see the work Wagga Wagga puts in to pull off such a magical event, between the ice skating, the food trucks, the ice carving and of course the lights! 

Later that week, we joined the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Entrants at a professional profiling session with Fiona from Women in Business Wagga Wagga. These sessions are always an eye opener, for not only an insight on your own personality traits & characteristics, but also an insight on how others can think, and how we can best effectively communicate. It does make you laugh looking back on the results, as it was quite accurate for Kate and myself. Our results showed 2 very different personalities that complement each other quite well. 

We were then lucky enough to be guests at the first Entrant event for the year. Sure to be a nervous time for the new Entrants, their trivia night themed Christmas in July, was a hit! The Entrants should be so proud of the event they organised, decorated and hosted for the first time. Hosting an event with over 200 guests is no small feat. We still remember the nerves like it was yesterday and we don’t take for granted being on the other side. 

As part of National Tree Day, over 1,000 seedlings were planted by many volunteers from the community, with Kate, Miss Wagga Wagga, putting the gloves on to join in the planting activities. The planting site was selected to enhance foraging and shelter habitat within the flight path of the threatened Superb Parrot.

​With only 3 weeks to go, the packing list has begun for our overseas trip to Leavenworth, Kansas USA. We are so fortunate to have such a strong relationship with a Sister City who has gone above and beyond to organise such an extensive itinerary for our visit. We can’t wait to see Leavenworth and meet the fantastic community, the next time you hear from us, we’ll be able to tell you all about it!

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The month of May saw plenty of planning as we always strive to continuously improve the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest experience for each cohort of Entrants. It also included a number of heart-warming community engagement opportunities for Miss Wagga Wagga, Kate.

The Quest experience is an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity, and each year it presents new challenges and learnings. The start of this month, as Titleholders we provided our thoughts on the year that was and the Handbook that is presented to Entrants to help guide them and reference throughout the year. The Quest is ever changing and developing as the world around it does, to always remain relevant and continue to offer support to not only the Entrants but also the community. 

Friday 19th May 2023, I attended the Welcome to Wagga Wagga event hosted by the Committee4Wagga. A fantastic event that is extremely benefical, welcoming new residents to the local area, and giving them the chance to network and connect with others facing the same new experiences. After a beautiful Welcome to Country by Aunty Mary and the proud words by Mayor Dallas Tout, I mingled and met new locals and provided what knowledge I could on the local area.

We finished off May with a bang, on arrival at the Leisure Company we were welcomed with a fantastic performance by Kildare Catholic College students of singing and dancing much to the delight of the Leisure Company clients who joined in for a boogie. We were very grateful to be invited to join them for their Biggest Morning Tea to help raise funds for the Cancer Council. The Leisure Company plays a wonderful role providing recreation, work, and life skills to people with a disability throughout Wagga.

We have many more events coming and we look forward to sharing every step of the way 💜
             Kate Pevere & Haylee Burkinshaw