​What a huge month of planning we have had in July!
 
We started off with the Reserve Forces Day Ceremony, the very last one to be held in Wagga Wagga. This is always a moving ceremony, and we are very grateful to John Ploenges and the committee for their hard work organising these ceremonies and including us each year!
 
At the start of the month, Maddie gave out another grant from the Community Princess Foundation – this one was to our local Edel Quinn shelter, where I received a tour of the facility from Nathalie and Bonnie. I never knew how much was provided at these places – from the obvious such as accommodation, to clothing, toiletries and meals – just to name a few. The grant provided a beautiful community lunch to help celebrate NAIDOC Day.
 
We had the pleasure of attending the 2019 MWWQ Entrants first event, the annual Trivia Night, which is always a huge success in the Wagga community! The girls sold out their event, held at Que Bar, and had some very spookily-dressed participants. We will unfortunately miss the next event, the High Tea, as we will be overseas, but we wish the girls all the best of luck!
 
At the end of the month we were invited to attend the Mayoress’ Rural Command Performance, where Mayoress’ Jenny Conkey raised money for youth programs at our local PCYC. This was an incredible showcase of the talent Wagga has, with over 30 performers coming from as far away as Brisbane and Melbourne to support their hometown. The performance had a great show of support from the community, with over 800 people attending the 2 shows.
 
This month has been a huge one for organisation, planning our trip to our Sister City of Leavenworth, USA! We will be departing Wagga on the 29th of August, thanks to long time Quest sponsor, Qantas, and heading over to America for a week with our Sister City contacts. This year, we are also being joined by Mayor Greg Conkey, and Mayoress’ Jenny Conkey, supporting our continuing Sister City relationships.
 
Please get in touch with us if you would like us to be involved in your upcoming community event. We’d love to hear from you and can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings! Please email us on mwwqtitleholders@hotmail.com or message the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Facebook page.
 
- MWW & CP xx

We’re over halfway through our reign as titleholders, and it’s an honour to be able to continue representing our city this way!
 
May kicked off early with the 2019 Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Launch Night. We were lucky enough to MC the night, and got to listen to 7 well presented speeches from the new entrants. We are very much looking forward to seeing how the girls go throughout the year – keep an eye out for their first event, a Black Friday themed Trivia Night on Friday 13th July!
 
This month, we also continued our tradition of the Miss Wagga Quest blood donations. Both Zoe & Maddie donated, as well as members of the committee! Watch out 2019 MWWQ Entrants, we’re recruiting you for our next donation in August!
 
We attended the Mayor & Mayoress’ Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea this month, raising funds for Cancer Council NSW – an incredible charity, and also Maddie’s workplace! It was great to see members of the community, defence and emergency services come together for a great cause. Thanks to the Mayor & Mayoress for always showing their support for worthwhile causes.
 
Zoe participated in National Simultaneous Storytime, reading “Hickory Hickory Dash” to the very cute kids at the Wagga Wagga Early Years Learning Centre in Boorooma.
 
This month also marked the end of Zoe’s journey in our local Wagga Wagga Takes 2. This year, the whole cast raised an incredible $431,870.78 for 12 local charities, including Zoe’s chosen charity, the Wagga  Wagga Rescue Squad. A huge well done to everyone involved!              
 
Maddie is currently calling for anyone interested in applying for a Community Princess Foundation Grant. This is a grant of up to $200 for small community groups – if you would like more information, please send us a message on our MWWQ Facebook page, and Maddie will be happy to discuss with you! Previous grants have been used for a garden project at a local school, toys for the Toy Library, and maintenance of a local sporting club house.
 
Please get in touch with us if you would like us to be involved in your upcoming community event. We’d love to hear from you and can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings! Please email us on mwwqtitleholders@hotmail.com or message the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Facebook page.

- MWW and CP xx

April kicked off with a relaxing Easter weekend, a much needed refresh in preparation for a busy month!
 
The Wagga Autism Support Group Incorporated, held their annual Superhero themed walk on Sunday the 8thof April and Zoe had the honour of meeting many heroes and heroines. The Superhero Walk for Autism, a walk alongside Lake Albert, followed by a whole lot of fun-filled activities at Apex Park, made for a great day out in the sun. Zoe enjoyed conversing with each of the stallholders, who all demonstrated a great passion towards the day’s event and could not wait to share stories of their love for Wagga and what has kept them in this beautiful city. 

There were prizes for best dressed, judged by Miss Wagga Wagga and this was no easy choice, as families had set aside plenty of time for creating all sorts of superhero costumes, not only the children but the parents as well! No one’s costuming efforts should go unrecognised! Taking on the dress and persona of a superhero pushed many of those in attendance to step out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves. To see so many young people willing to push their own boundaries and raise awareness for Autism, was a terrific start to the month of April and something we hope we see plenty more of, as the year continues.
 
April was also show time for Zoe in Thomas Brothers Wagga Wagga Takes Two! Zoe has been working with the Wagga Wagga Rescue Squad, Volunteer Rescue Association since November last year to fundraise, and with Nathan Lamont to get performance ready! Zoe and Nathan sang “Jackson” a Johnny Cash and June Carter classic. Thomas Brothers Wagga Wagga Takes Two has a lot of support from local businesses, charities and individuals, who put many hours of effort into creating the production. Twelve local charities including the Wagga Wagga Rescue Squad benefited from the event financially. This is an annual event to mark up on your calendar, not to be missed!
 
The Miss Wagga Wagga Entrants have been working hard at their personal development behind the scenes in preparation for their launch. Zoe and Maddie look forward to mentoring this year’s group of young women through their Entrant Year and cannot wait to see what fundraising initiatives they come up with!
 
Zoe and Maddie woke up bright and early on the 25th of April and attended the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Kapooka. After the First World War, soldiers who returned to Australia, sought the companionship they had felt in the quiet and peaceful moments before dawn on a battlefield. A dawn vigil became a key commemoration after the war, and is still observed today.

Following the Dawn Service Zoe and Maddie made their way to the Gunfire Breakfast at RAAF Base Wagga, a traditional ANZAC Day breakfast. Zoe and Maddie were lucky enough to be invited to enjoy their breakfast with Air Vice Marshal Warren McDonald, AM, CSC, the current Chief of Joint Capabilities and Wagga Wagga’s Guest Speaker for the day. He grew up in Hay and had plenty of stories about his time both living and training in the Riverina. 

Official duties for Miss Wagga Wagga and the Community Princess began at the main ANZAC Day Ceremony in Victory Memorial Gardens, after the march. Zoe and Maddie laid a wreath on the cenotaph as a sign of remembrance for all those who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations and in recognition of the contribution and suffering of all those who have served.
 
Miss Wagga Wagga and the Community Princess both had a jam-packed April, bringing them straight into May, rearing to go!

We hope you all had a relaxing break and enjoyable Christmas and New Year - welcome to 2018! After a short break at the beginning of January we started the new year off with the Australia Day long weekend!
 
On the Thursday evening we attended the Mayoral Reception and Awards Ceremony, allowing us to speak to the nominees, nominators and various awardees of the Australia Day Awards. We then moved across the road to the Victory Memorial Gardens to take part in the Australia Day Celebrations, celebrating locals who are making a difference to the Wagga Wagga community. It was wonderful to hear from Yianni Johns about his story as well as several others who chose to share their story, in keeping with the Australia Day 2018 theme.
 
On Friday morning, Australia Day, we had the privilege to be a part of the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony. Standing alongside the 25 individuals as they pledged allegiance to Australia was surreal. We then assisted Mayor Greg Conkey OAM in presenting both certificates and a gift from the City of Wagga Wagga – a native plant for each family, affording them the opportunity to literally plant roots in Australian soil, whilst also metaphorically planting roots here. This was followed by a morning tea, beautifully catered by the Country Women’s Association.
 
On Sunday the 28th of January we attended the Queen’s Baton Official Ceremony at Bolton Park. We were able to speak to the first baton bearer, Heather Pentland; who was understandably overwhelmed by the honour of the experience and it was fitting to see the Queen’s Baton carried through the streets of the city of good sports, as its first run through New South Wales.
 
Zoe’s Wagga Wagga Takes Two fundraising efforts are now in full swing for the Wagga Wagga Rescue Squad. All of Zoe’s event information and ticketing will be posted on: https://www.facebook.com/zoemartinfundraising/.
 
If you would like us to be involved in an event you, or a local organisation, has coming up – please do not hesitate to contact us at mwwqtitleholders@hotmail.com.
 
Lastly, applications are now open, for both interested charities, and applicants for the 2019 Miss Wagga Wagga Quest, closing on Monday 19th February. We couldn’t recommend it more to the young women of Wagga – so step outside your comfort zone or encourage someone you know to take the leap!
 
-       MWW & CP xx

December was a big month for our Titleholders, with events leading up to the Christmas and New Year break.
 
First up though, at the end of November we attended the Wagga Wagga Takes Two (WWT2) Launch event, where Zoe was announced as a contestant for 2018. Most people around Wagga know of WWT2, however it is a singing competition where local ‘celebrities’ are teamed up with singers, performing 3 shows in aid of their chosen charity. Zoe will be performing with Nathan Lamont, and their chosen charity is Wagga Wagga Rescue Squad – a very worthy cause.
 
On the 8th December, we were invited to attend the Mayor’s Christmas Party at the Wagga Wagga Country Club, where we were lucky to meet some of the most well-known in Wagga, as well as celebrating the achievements of the Wagga City Council in 2017. We were honoured to be a part of this, and thank Mayor Greg Conkey for the invitation.
 
Maddie was able to join with Jes, Community Princess 2017, to hand out another grant from the Community Princess Foundation. This grant was awarded to the Children’s Contact Service, where it will be used to liven up the outdoor area, as a calm space for the families who use this service. If you know of an organisation that could use a Community Princess Foundation Grant, please head to www.misswaggaquest.com and follow the links to complete an application.
 
We were asked to attend the Specialist Medical Resources Foundation’s (SMRF) event, Light the Night, held in the Civic Theatre Precinct. This event brings everyone’s favourite Disney characters to Wagga for two nights, raising vital funds for SMRF – who were also one of our beneficiaries for the 2017 Quest year. The Civic Theatre Precinct was alive with lights and singing, as well as the sound of the children enjoying the evening. It was a very “Miss Wagga Wagga Quest” evening, with 2017 Miss Wagga Wagga Sarah Navin, and 2017 Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Entrants, Sarah Brunskill and Katharine Graham also helping at the event.
 
In a big weekend for our titleholders, the next night we were invited to attend the Saturday Morning Bowling League (SMBL) Christmas Function and present the bowlers with their awards for the year. What a fun night this was! We were especially excited when they informed us that they had named a trophy after us, in recognition of the donation we made to them – the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest ‘Good Sport Award’. Allen Ward was the deserving winner of our trophy – despite battling an injury for most of the year, he still attended as much as he could and did his very best! Well done Allen. Thank you to Wendy and the Bowlers for the invitation – we can’t wait for the next one!
 
On Sunday 17th December, we were delighted to attend the Wagga Wagga Christmas Spectacular in the Music Bowl as VIP’s, thanks to wonderful Kurrajong. What a beautiful evening of carols – special highlights included the Australian Army Band Kapooka, teamed up with the Royal Military College Duntroon Band.  We were even treated to a visit from Santa, who was very busy in the lead up to Christmas!
 
Zoe caught up with Miss Wagga Wagga from 1964, Ronda Lampe (nee Platts), to talk about the changes in the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest in the past 54 years, and have a look at Ronda’s historic gavel along with it – read the full article here http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/5135896/gavel-uncovers-fascinating-history-of-miss-wagga/, thanks to the Daily Advertiser!
 
2017 was a huge year for us, in our Entrant journey, and finally being crowned as titleholders, and we’re not sure its slowing down anytime soon!
 
If you would like us to be involved in an event you, or a local organisation, has coming up – please do not hesitate to contact us at mwwqtitleholders@hotmail.com.
 
- MWW & CP xx

​November was an exciting month as we settled into our new roles as Miss Wagga Wagga and Community Princess for 2018. We are both overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and community support in congratulating us on our new titles. We cannot wait for the adventures that 2018 will undoubtedly bring.
 
The Crowning Ceremony that we celebrated in early November was an unforgettable experience and the perfect way to culminate the fundraising and activities of the Quest Year. Coming together alongside the other entrants; Sarah Brunskill, Katharine Graham and Aley Harvey we had the opportunity to recognise the years achievements as a group and present the funds we raised in 2017 to our seven beneficiaries of the Quest; the Amie St. Clair Melanoma Trust, Country Hope, Ronald McDonald House, the Saturday Morning Bowling League, the Specialist Medical Resources Foundation, the Leisure Company and the Wagga Women’s Health Centre.
 
We started off our titleholder year being interviewed by the Daily Advertiser, Prime 7, Win News, Triple M, Hit 93.1 and WaggaWagga.TV! It is always so much fun catching up with each of these stations and there was no denying that crowning had really happened and was not just a dream!
 
The Liberty Against Violence March saw us make our first event as titleholders and what an event it was, to see so many heads turn and join us in marching along Baylis Street was impressive.  
 
Remembrance Day was spent in the Victory Memorial Gardens meeting veterans and their families. The ceremony began with the Commanding Officer of 1 Recruit Training Battalion, Kapooka, Lieutenant Colonel Liz Stephens reading a moving poem that was written by a Corporal during their posting to Wagga Wagga. This was followed by wreath laying and the narration of the Ode of Remembrance.
 
We handed out balloons to Bunnings customers for the Respect Week Barbeque and put smiles on children’s faces whilst raising awareness surrounding Family Violence and communicating the message of respect in the home, workplace and in our community.
 
Continuing the fantastic tradition of Miss Wagga Wagga Quest, we donated blood for the first time as the 2018 Titleholders, something that is ongoing for titleholders, entrants and previous entrants alike!
 
The Leisure Company held their Annual General Meeting and a few of the participants beautifully performed a segment of their musical “Character Matters”. Zoe then had the chance to chat to the many talented individuals in attendance and discuss their accomplishments they gain from participating in all the activities that the Leisure Company coordinates. It was particularly good to see how the Leisure Company are continuing to receive support surrounding the indispensable service they provide, particularly given they were one of our beneficiaries in this year’s quest.
 
Many people were out in force on the morning of the 24th of November, for the Mt Austin Clontarf Academy, White Ribbon Day Lake Walk! The boys from the Mt Austin Clontarf Academy had organised this event in preparation for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
 
Then on White Ribbon Day, the 25th of November, Zoe attended the White Ribbon Day Commemorative Service hosted by the Wagga Wagga Women’s Health Centre (WWHC). This event was strikingly appropriate for the day and saw male leaders from the city read the names of the Australian women who have lost their lives in the last year due to violence. WWHC continue their meaningful work in the Wagga Wagga community and were also a beneficiary for this year’s quest.
 
On the same day, Zoe and Maddie wore their crowns to accompany a very special and long awaited guest (SANTA CLAUSE!) at the Defence Force and Emergency Services Family Christmas Treat held at the Oasis Aquatic Centre. It is difficult to believe Christmas is just around the corner!
 
Zoe and Maddie have also had the privilege of attending the Mayoral Reception to celebrate Michael Kennedy OAM’s contribution to the Wagga Wagga Community through his ongoing service to Kurrajong and commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Kurrajong! Mr. Kennedy has committed his service to Kurrajong for many years and Mayor Greg Conkey’s Mayoral Reception was a beautiful way to recognise this.

It does not go unappreciated how lucky we are to be the ambassadors for our city and attending such a variety of events in our vibrant community! We cannot wait to see what more experiences our titleholder year will bring! If you would like us to be involved in your upcoming event, please email us at mwwqtitleholders@hotmail.com.
 
- MWW and CP xx

This is it! The final blog from the 2017 Miss Wagga Wagga and Community Princess. 
​
It has been such an incredible honour to be titleholders this past year and as we reflect on the past 12 months we think about all the wonderful memories and friendships we have gained. 

We started the month of October started in New York City! After our sister city visit we ventured out and explored various parts of the States prior to returning home to Wagga Wagga. 

We were straight back into duties after our return with Sarah attending the 2018 MWWQ Entrants’ High Tea on 8 October. Elements in the Gardens looked beautiful and the food was delicious – all that you could hope for when attending a High Tea. The Entrants did a magnificent job in their final event and we congratulate them on their efforts over the past 8 months. 

Wagga is known as the city of good sports and this title was not forgotten when the Samoan National Rugby League team came to town to play a friendly match against the Country Under 23’s team prior to the Rugby League World Cup. We were invited to the mayoral reception held on 11 October, by Mayor Conkey and were lucky enough to meet some of these athletes. It was evident that the team was very proud of their country and where they came from and it was great to chat to them about their upcoming games. 

On Sunday 15 October, we attended the Walk to D’Feet Motor Neurone Disease event. We both read the poem which acts as an opening for the Walks around the country then the walk began. It was a beautiful day for the walk which began at Apex Park and looped it’s way around the lovely Lake Albert. Wagga is very lucky to be able to host such events in such beautiful places and this was certainly demonstrated on this occasion. 

Visitors from our wonderful sister cities of Leavenworth, USA and Nordlingen, Germany arrived in Wagga during October and on Friday 21 October a Mayoral Reception was held on their behalf. Nancy Bauder. Mayor of Leavenworth made a speech which noted the similarities between her home city and Wagga. We definitely agreed with this statement as Leavenworth in many ways is a reflection of Wagga and vice versa. Hermann Faul, the Mayor of Nordlingen (or the Oberbürgermeister ) was also in attendance, along with a number of his local councillors and one of the local bands Tintenfisch. Hermann discussed the sister city connection and our relationship with his city over the past 50 years. We were then lucky enough to be entertained by Tintenfisch with some catchy songs. 

The next day, Saturday 22 October, Fusion Festival took over the Civic Centre of Wagga. The multicultural festival was a true reflection of the incredibly diverse Wagga community and showcased the range of cultures have to offer. There were performances from many different backgrounds including, Bollywood dancing and of course German music from Tintenfisch. Well done to Wagga Wagga City Council for hosting a marvellous event. 

On Monday 24 October, Jes ventured out to Kooringal Public School to present them with a grant from the Community Princess Fund. The kids will be putting the money towards a veggie garden which will help teach the importance of healthy eating. Can’t wait to see the finished product! 

We visited Jake and the team at Epica Jewellers on Thursday 26 October and brought along our crowns for a big clean prior to Crowning. Jake taught us about the thought process that went into the crowns and how they were made. We are so appreciative of the crowns and everything Jake has provided and thank him for his continued support of the Quest. 

On Saturday 28 October we manned the Raffle tickets at the Children’s Medical Research Institute’s annual Christmas Fair at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club. It was great to meet a variety of people – many who travel a fair distance to get to the fair; and assist for such a worthy cause. 

The annual Teddy Bears Picnic was held on Sunday 29 October at Collins Park. Murrumbidgee Rotary do such a wonderful job putting on this event each year and you could tell from the smiles on the kids’ faces that, despite the overcast weather, they had the time of their lives. We manned the play dough table along with entrant Katharine, and got our hands dirty making all sorts of shapes from all sorts of colours. 

This week is our final week of being titleholders with the Crowning for the 2018 Miss Wagga Wagga and Community Princess being held at 5pm, 4 November at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery. If anyone is free, come on down and witness a piece of history being made!! The Entrants interviews are done and the final judging has been complete! Now to wait for Saturday… 

We would like to thank everyone that has made our time in the MWWQ the most incredible time of our lives. It is difficult to pick out anyone in particular but we wish to thank the following: 
1. Our major sponsors – Qantas, The Daily Advertiser, Triple M Riverina, HIT93.1 Riverina & Wagga.TV. Without your support the Quest wouldn’t be capable of achieving what it has. 
2. MWWQ Committee – thank you for your hard work and support over the past two years. You’ve all done a wonderful job and are the reason why the Quest keeps getting better and better. 
3. Family & Friends – Thank you, for absolutely everything. You’ve been our rocks and support system for this entire journey and we are both so incredibly blessed to have such amazing people surrounding us. 

And that’s it! Our last blog done and dusted. What an incredible journey. Our titleholder year has been one of momentous occasions and amazing memories. 

We can’t wait to see the 2018 titleholders on their journey and wish them the best of luck for the next year. 

For the final time.. 

- MWW & CP 2017 xx 
​
The MWWQ Committee would also like to thank Sarah and Jes for the dedication to their roles and duties throughout the year.  

We were given the warmest of welcomes to Wagga Wagga’s sister city Leavenworth, Kansas during our week long official visit. From exploring sunflower fields to watching jousting at the Renaissance Festival, and learning about Fort Leavenworth, the whole trip was fascinating and the local hospitality was heart-warming. We can’t thank our hosts Bobbie and Ken Bower and the entire Sister City Committee’s efforts in making our trip truly special through our jam-packed itinerary!
 
On day one we were guests at the Rotary of Leavenworth luncheon, making a presentation about Wagga Wagga and exchanging rotary banners between the cities. We also got a tour of the Justice Center with the Police Chief (complete with mugshots, a look inside a police car and our own police patches to take home), a tour and interview at the Leavenworth Times newspaper, and a reception and dinner with the Mayor, City Manager, City Commissioners (Councillors), and other VIPs. Here the Mayor of Leavenworth, Nancy Bauder, officially proclaimed September 5 to 12 as "Wagga Wagga Week" and presented us with a proclamation certificate. How exciting!
 
On day two we were given a tour of Leavenworth High School where we learnt about the junior ROTC military program, got a peek of the underground rifle range and the talented school choir performed for us! Continuing to explore Leavenworth’s educational opportunities, we also toured the University of St Mary, and toured the University of Kansas (where Basketball was invented and 'helium' on the periodic table was discovered). We gave a presentation at the Lions Club, which had some friendly rivalry with Rotary! We will never forget the clown hats and ruckus that was made as members took the mickey out of each other and demanded people pay up in ‘fines’ to raise money. That evening we explored downtown Leavenworth & met the local business owners in the 'Alive after 5' event, as they served canapes and drinks as we shopped!
 
On day three we climbed into a fire truck to start the day, as we got a tour of the Leavenworth Fire Department. We then visited the famous 'Wagga Wagga Drive' for an iconic photo (what an impressive sign!). We toured Fort Leavenworth, a fascinating 'mini military town' where 1500 people live – it even has its own Burger King. We checked out the Command and General Staff College, where select international officers go to advance in the military. We then headed back into the CBD and rode on an antique carousel more than 100 years old, at the historic C.W Parker Carousel Museum - there was even a wooden horse named 'Wagga Wagga' of course! We got the opportunity to meet the Director of the 'Miss Leavenworth' quest to share stories and spent the night soaking up live bands, fire twirling and market stalls at the Leavenworth Hog BBQ Festival downtown.
 
We also spent some time in Kansas City, which is an easy 40 minute drive away. We visited the National World War One Museum, where volunteer John Reichley a history lesson on some 2,300 artefacts - only 8% of the museum's total collection. We also got the chance to explore the plaza shopping district in Kansas City! We saw a professional performance of 'Grease' at the outdoor Starlight Theatre (which seats almost 8000 people!). The show starred Leavenworth local Anthony 'Bubba' Gasbarre, whom we got to meet after the show. We were also invited to Leavenworth Baptist Church for the Sunday service and then went to the amazing Renaissance Festival, where we watched jousting, had a go at axe throwing, saw dragon slaying, watched Scottish Highland performances and dressed up in period costume.
 
We were special guests at the Fort Leavenworth Freedom Walk, which marked the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Selected local school children made outstanding speeches about what freedom means to them. It was a privilege to be part of such a sombre but inspiring day. We then visited the KCKCC Pioneer Career Center, and had a tour of the electrics, carpentry, plumbing and nursing facilities. The college has only been open for 2 years, and transformed a former Junior High School. Students from the Culinary Arts Program prepared and served a special lunch for us, including broccoli & bacon salad, and cinnamon scrolls for dessert. We then looked through the history of 'Miss Wagga Wagga' visits to Leavenworth, at the house of Maxine Hunter, who's previously hosted our city's ambassadors for many years. We had the true American experience at a Kansas City Royals baseball game on our last night. Sadly the team lost to the White Sox but we still cheered on Australian player Peter Moylan, with our flag in hand!
 
We cannot thank our sister city enough for their wonderful generosity, thoughtfulness in creating an itinerary that catered for both of our unique interests, and the amazing memories that we will always share. We look forward to hosting Leavenworth’s Mayor Nancy Bauder on her visit to Wagga Wagga in mid-October. If you have the chance to visit Leavenworth, or any one of our three sister cities, we strongly encourage you to embrace that international bond – we feel so lucky to have had that chance.

August, which means just one month to go until our overseas trip where we represent the City of Wagga Wagga at our Sister City Leavenworth, in the USA! We recently received our itinerary from Leavenworth, and we can’t wait to Tour Fort Leavenworth and learn about the city’s military history, tour schools and universities and take part in the Renaissance Festival!

July engagements started with Reserve Forces Day on July 2nd, which recognised the men and women who’ve answered the call, leaving their civilian jobs, to protect our country. We thank the RSL sub-branch for inviting us to be a part of the fitting, informative and respectful commemorations.

Sarah opened the ‘Wagga Wagga Women’s Shed’ with an official ribbon snip, alongside Wiradjuri Elder, Aunty Gail Manderson. As part of NAIDOC Week, she let Sarah try on her hand-stitched possum cloak which has great cultural significance in indigenous history. The new Women’s Shed is a space which celebrates women empowering each other and learning new skills, including arts & crafts, TAFE classes, exercise groups and well-being sessions. See their Facebook page to join their events!

You may have heard us on the airways on your drive to work – we appeared on Hit 93.1 Riverina and Triple M Riverina, as well as the Wagga.TV show ‘the Wagga Weekly’ with Adam Drummond. We talked about balancing our careers with Miss Wagga duties, our favourite activities we’ve been involved in so far; and how the Quest, which is in its 70th year, continues to remain relevant to this day. You can watch the show here - https://www.facebook.com/waggawagga.TV/videos/1176839222461298/

Jes handed out a grant from the Community Princess Foundation to the RANCH (RAAF, Army, Navy Community House). A very worthy recipient, the RANCH does remarkable things to support defence families in Wagga, and Jes saw this firsthand at the kid’s disco! The group will use the grant to purchase new high chairs for the children. It’s wonderful to know such support groups exist for new and existing defence families in Wagga, with the defence bases being such an important part of our city.

On July 15th Sarah had a blast at the Saturday Morning Bowling League’s ‘Christmas in July’ event, with some of the 2018 entrants. There was a delicious roast smorgasbord at the William Farrer Hotel, and Sarah gave out awards and brooches to the bowlers – whose skills are outstanding! She thinks they could teach her a thing or two.

‘Wild, Wacky, Wonderful Women’ held a personal development session for us on styling, and dressing to suit body shape and appearance. The ladies had a lot to share on colour palettes, necklines and accessories, and have an inspiring outlook on life. Thanks for spending the afternoon with us, Sandra and Nat!

Sarah joined personnel from the RAAF and Kapooka on a bitterly cold July morning, for ‘Operation Winter Warmth’. Each year the Rotary Club of Wagga puts on a sausage sizzle and recruits manpower to collect donations of woolly clothing, blankets, bedding, furniture or food for local vulnerable people. This fabulous community initiative began in 1994, with the donations split between St Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army.

Part of our mission this year has been to spread the word of the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest and what it offers women in our community. We love talking to young people that could jump at the challenge to become an entrant in the future. This month we spoke to year 11 and 12 students at the Wagga Christian College, telling them how the quest provides an awesome way to be involved in the community. We told them about how we are proud to have raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity by strutting our stuff in Wagga Wagga Takes Two; and other ways we love to get involved, including visiting the Paediatric Ward at the hospital, supporting fundraising balls, and donating blood. We hope it peaked the interest of some of the students in the crowd, and always encourage anyone else in the community who may be interested, to reach out and ask us questions!

Finally this month, a huge congratulations to the 2018 entrants Aley, Maddie, Katharine, Sarah and Zoe, for their wonderful tasting afternoon at Borambola Wines. The sun came out, which made for a glorious afternoon, listening to ‘Mr Borambola’ Tim McMullen teach us how to pair wine with chocolate and cheese, with the beautiful acoustic sounds of Alex and Caleb Richards and panoramic views. Thank you to all the local businesses who supported the entrants to make this a successful fundraiser! We can’t wait to see what the girls do next, and support them in their adventure… while ours continues!

Until next month,

MWW & CP xx