Fleetwood held its first event as part of its Sesquicentennial Celebration this past week, The Fleetwood Pageant. Eight-year-old Giahna Strahin was named Little Miss Fleetwood, Paisley Grace Byrniarski, nine, was named Jr. Miss Fleetwood, Natalie Cabera was named Miss Fleetwood and Julia Kaskey, a Temple University freshman, was named Ms. Fleetwood.
All four contestants are attending or have attended the Fleetwood Area School District. Kelly Ebeling Schaeffer, Chairman of the 150th Anniversary, Mayor Tammy Gore and Doris Seoane Jaeger, Fleetwood’s reigning 1973 Centennial Queen, crowned the winners. Each participant was chosen on their love of Fleetwood and the memories each participant was making.
“Twenty-four contestants represented the new Fleetwood, and really, everyone was a winner. Each of these young ladies represent the future and their love for Fleetwood. It was the perfect evening to kick off the celebration,” said Ebeling-Schaeffer.
Contestants spent the day with preliminary interviews with the judges and then were asked on stage questions about their love of Fleetwood and experience of growing up in the town.
The event was held at Fleetwood Area High School Auditorium and included Celebration highlights, songs from the upcoming Fleetwood Community Theatre production of Footloose as well as a preview of the upcoming award-winning documentary, Finding Fleetwood. Tom Frank served as the emcee for the event and the Judges were Jeanette DeAngelo, Doris Seoane Jaeger, and Eric Schaeffer.
All four Queens will be appearing in the upcoming Celebration Events including the 150th Celebration Parade through the streets of Fleetwood on September 30th. Fleetwood’s 150th Celebration continues through the end of the 2023 calendar year.
Little Miss Fleetwood: Giahna Strahin Strahin is 8 years old and in 2nd grade at Andrew Maier Elementary school. Gia is what you will normally hear her called. Her favorite sport is softball, and she cannot wait to learn how to pitch. Gymnastics is her next favorite thing to do because she feels like she can fly when she is on the bars. In the summer, you can find her riding the waves on her boogie board and searching for seashells. While she loves eating rigatoni, watching the fire show at hibachi is a close second. Last but not least, unicorns!
Jr. Miss Fleetwood: Paisley Grace Bryniarski is 9 years old. She is the daughter of Corbin and Brittany Bryniarski. She has three sisters and one dog-named Gizmo. She is in 3rd grade at Willow Creek Elementary School. She absolutely loves school and learning new things each day. Her favorite subject in school is math; however, she does love to read as well. When she is not in school, she is usually staying active with tennis, volleyball, and dance. She will be performing in her second ballet solo this June in her studio’s recital and jazz with her team. When she is not busy with school and her extracurricular activities, spending time with family and friends is very important to her. She looks forward to and value the camping, beach trips, and all the memories made each year.
Miss Fleetwood: Natalia Cabrera is a Fleetwood Middle School student who participates in cheerleading. She enjoys crafting, singing, sewing, baking, gardening, and fashion.
Ms. Fleetwood: Julia Kaskey is a freshman at Temple University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry on a pre-medical track with hopes of one day becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist. She is a current member of Temple University’s Health-Link Society, American Red Cross, and the American Medical Student’s Association with whom she volunteers across Philadelphia. In high school, she was president of the Future Business Leaders of America and the National Honor Society, secretary of the Sustainable Students, and captain of the varsity field hockey, basketball, and track and field teams. Additionally, she was a member of the Women’s Empowerment Club, Student Council, Rho Kappa, National Business Honor Society, and Model UN. The past two summers, she has spent her time working as a lifeguard at the Fleetwood Community Pool. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, running, listening to music, spending time with her family and friends, and cuddling with her dogs Anakin, Kenobi, and Finn.
