CANTON, OH (May 11, 2012) –
Elissa Prazer, 19, of Carrollton, Ohio, was crowned the 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Queen from a field of 53 contestants. The 2012 Enshrinement Festival Queen Pageant was held Thursday, May 10, at The Canton Palace Theatre in downtown Canton. Contestants were judged on the basis of personality, poise, beauty, communication skills, academic achievement and service to community.
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Six Court members also were selected, to coincide with the number in the 2012 Class of Enshrinees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 2012 Court members include
Erin Fitch, 18, of Canton, Ohio;
Elizabeth-Burton Jones, 22, of Canton, Ohio;
Taylor Kress, 19, of Alliance, Ohio;
Tory Shephard, 20, of North Canton, Ohio;
Alyson Sliman, 21, of Canton, Ohio; and
Abigail Svetlak, 18 of Canton, Ohio.
Prazer, the daughter of Tina Vogt and Thomas Prazer, is a graduate of Sandy Valley High School and is currently attending Ohio University.
Fitch, the daughter of Sharon and Frank Fitch, will graduate shortly from Jackson High School.
Jones, the daughter of Marilyn Thomas Jones and Burton Vernon Jones, graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School and is currently attending John Carroll University.
Kress, the daughter of Susan and George Kress, graduated from West Branch High School and attends The University of Akron.
Shephard, the daughter of Jill and Bryan Shephard, is a graduate of Timken High School and Stark State College and currently attends University of Findlay.
Sliman, the daughter of Cynthia and Sam Sliman, graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School and currently attends Walsh University.
Svetlak, the daughter of Sheryl and Stephen Svetlak, graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School and attends Walsh University.
Kayleigh Kriss, mid-day personality and FM music director of WHBC Mix 94.1, and
Ron Ponder, host of Points to Ponder on News-Talk 1480 WHBC, were masters of ceremonies, and
Tonya Hodgson Stuck was choreographer.
Candy Wallace, 2012 general chairman of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival’s Canton Regional Chamber committees, assisted with crowning the new queen and six court members, and
Bob Hill Quartet and Spotlight Theatre Company provided entertainment throughout the Pageant.
Judges for the event included
Aimee Belden, community relations, Chesapeake Energy Corporation;
Jennifer Jones, senior account representative, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield;
Fonda Williams, development director, City of Canton; and
Joe Halter, president, Solmet Technologies, and 2012 Enshrinement Festival General vice chairman of the Canton Regional Chamber committees.
Kara Abbott, 2012 Queen Pageant chairman, vice chairman
Crystal McLendon, and the members of the Queen committee will work with Enshrinement Festival staff to coordinate all activities relating to the Queen and Court during their service as goodwill ambassadors and positive role models throughout the summer via participation in a wide range of community service projects.
At the Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner, the Court will serve as escorts to the 2012 Class of Enshrinees, including: cornerback
Jack Butler, center
Dermontti Dawson, defensive end/linebacker
Chris Doleman, defensive tackle
Cortez Kennedy, running back
Curtis Martin, and tackle
Willie Roaf. Further, the Queen and Court will represent the community at all Enshrinement Festival activities, happening from Friday, July 20 through Monday, Aug. 6.
ABOUT THE ENSHRINEMENT FESTIVAL
In 2012, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Enshrinement Festival will mark the 49th anniversary of honoring the legends of professional football, which includes conducting a world-renowned festival celebrating the annual enshrinement of football players, coaches and contributors into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The collaborative efforts of this leadership team, combined with the professional staffs at the Canton Regional Chamber and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the dedicated team of more than 4,200 volunteers, will ensure the success of 19 diverse events over two weeks from July 20 to Aug. 6, 2012.
The Enshrinement Festival activities, attended by nearly 700,000 people, are expected to produce an economic impact of over $31 million for the Canton/Stark County area and $56 million for the State of Ohio. In addition, millions will experience aspects of the Enshrinement Festival as events are televised and covered by other media.
The central focus and highlight of this year’s Enshrinement Festival will be the Aug. 4 Enshrinement Ceremony for the 2012 Class of Enshrinees.
For the complete schedule of events, ticket information, and the latest news, check the Web sites periodically:
www.profootballhofef.com or
www.profootballhof.com.
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