The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the annual Enshrinement Festival will be celebrating 52 years of excellence in 2015, with the first event being the Queen Pageant on May 7. Applications and tickets will be available at the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Enshrinement Festival department, 222 Market Ave. N., in downtown Canton, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning Monday, Feb. 9.
In addition, applications are available on-line at www.ProFootballHOFEF.com. The deadline to submit the application and a $70 fee is Monday, March 9, by 5 p.m. Candidates cannot be younger than a high school senior and 18 years old by May 1 or more than 23 years of age before Sept. 1. Candidates must reside and, if employed, work within a 30-mile radius of Stark County.
While not mandatory, all potential candidates are invited and encouraged to attend the fifth annual "Screen the Queen Pageant" session which will take place Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce from 9 to 11 a.m. This session will help young ladies decide if they would like to enter the Pageant, and to give them a better idea of what to expect if they do. Participants will have the opportunity to review the 2014 Queen Pageant DVD, learn about the judging experience from past years' judges, hear from a past queen who will share her memories, and ask questions about the process. This informative, casual session is FREE, but reservations must be made in advance by calling Kathy Lindenberger at (330) 458-2056 or e-mailing her at: kathyl@cantonchamber.org.
The Queen Pageant on Thursday, May 7 will begin at 7 p.m. at The Canton Palace Theatre. All seats are reserved at $20 each, and tickets can be purchased at the Canton Regional Chamber, and online at www.ProFootballHOFEF.com/Queen-Pageant.
At the conclusion of the Pageant, a Queen and five court members will have been selected on the basis of personality, poise, beauty, communication skills, academic achievement and service to community. The Queen and her court will serve as role models and goodwill ambassadors throughout the community.
For more information regarding applications, tickets or sponsorship opportunities, contact Kathy Linderberger at (330) 458-2056 or visit the Enshrinement Festival Web site at www.ProFootballHOFEF.com.