SPRINGFIELD – Six beautiful women competing for the title of queen. It sounds like a situation out of a reality TV show, not something that would happen in Springfield.
On the contrary, A Queen’s Affair: Miss Oregon Volunteer Pageant will be hosted for the first time at the Wildish Theater on Jan. 11.
Young women in the Miss category between 17-26 years old will compete for an official state crown and title and multiple scholarships valued between $100 and $500, coming in at $5,000 in total. Miss contestants include six Corvallis, Portland, South Eugene, Willamette Valley, Eugene, and Southern Oregon representatives. There are also five in the Teen category (ages 13-18), with Victoria Acosta representing Springfield and Emma Jean Sanders representing Cottage Grove. Ten princesses range between the ages of 5-12.
BOB WILLIAMS / THE CHRONICLE
Haylee Cole, 2024 Miss Oregon Teen Volunteer (right), and Maliya Morgan, 2024 Miss Oregon Volunteer.
The Miss category features young women aged 17 to 26 who will compete for an official state crown and title. They will also receive multiple scholarships totaling $5,000, ranging from $100 to $500. The contestants include six Corvallis, Portland, South Eugene, Willamette Valley, Eugene, and Southern Oregon representatives.
The Teen category includes five competitors aged 13 to 18, with Victoria Acosta representing Springfield and Emma Jean Sanders representing Cottage Grove. Additionally, 10 princesses aged 5 to 12 are participating.
However, “Miss Oregon Volunteer is more than just a pageant,” according to Heidi Albertson, executive director, who is no stranger to them. She was the first runner-up in 1998 for Mrs. Oregon International before serving on their board of directors. Her stepdaughter competed in 2015 and 2016 and was the first runner-up for Miss Oregon.
What sets it apart is that “Miss Oregon Volunteer is a platform for which each of our young women can further their voice and involvement in the charitable cause she is most passionate about,” Albertson said. “These young women will also make connections throughout their community and state.”
Contestants participate in various volunteer opportunities with each other and learn about different charity organizations throughout Oregon before the pageant on stage. They continue volunteering after they earn their titles.
“Becoming Miss Oregon Volunteer has been the most fulfilling job I’ve ever had,” said 2024 queen Maliya Morgan. “It has empowered me (and others) in ways that I didn’t know was possible.” Morgan added that another “aspect that I’ve taken away from the MOV program has been the sisterhood. I have met lifelong friends that have pushed me to become a better version of myself.”
Albertson treats her volunteer role like a full-time job, just as her girls treat their titles like jobs.
“We are an all-volunteer organization whose mission is to ensure scholarships are received, education is pursued, responsibility is learned, volunteerism is fulfilled, and as a result, the young women across the state of Oregon are empowered.”
Each point on the crown represents one of those values.
A Queen’s Affair will be held on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Wildish Theater, 630 Main St., Springfield. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the pageant starts at 6:30 p.m.
Sarina Dorie is the arts writer for The Chronicle.
