Five Hills Scholarship Pageant takes applications starting Thursday

Special to the Leader-Press

Big Dreams Under the Big Top is the theme of this year’s Copperas Cove’s Five Hills Scholarship Pageant, presented by Manning Homes and sponsored by VFW Post #8677. 
The popular community service program which draws an estimated 150 contestants each year will crown its new titleholders on March 24 at the Copperas Cove Civic Center.  The pageant will be the culminating event of the City’s birthday week celebration.  The pageant is open to boys ages 0-8 and girls and women of all ages. 
Contestants may start applying starting Feb. 1-Mar. 1 at the city website at http://www.copperascovetx.gov/parks/five_hills_pageant/.  Applications may also be picked up at the civic center.  Contestants can also access applications through the Five Hills Pageant Facebook page.  
Last year, the pageant awarded more than $74,000 in scholarships and prizes to its contestants and winners and expects to do as much or more this year.  W. B. Development returns as the sponsor of the educational savings bonds for the winners of the younger royalty in the Baby Miss through the Pre-Teen categories while Extraco Banks provides the scholarships for the Young Miss and the Teen Miss winners.  
Every contestant will receive at least $200 in prizes simply for entering. These prizes include tickets to the zoo and museums, certificates to local restaurants and salons, gymnastic, dance and taekwondo lessons and more. Winners get to make a myriad of appearances representing the City including riding on the new professional parade float in more than a dozen parades throughout the year.  The Daisy will provide the bouquets of flowers for the incoming and outgoing queens and boutonnieres for the incoming and outgoing kings.  
With new custom crowns last year from Bill French Jewelers that spell out Copperas Cove in rhinestones inside the tiaras, this year’s new edition to the pageant is a coronation ball following the evening event.  The coronation ball will be catered by Bits n Bites Cake Shop, HEB, Plus—Copperas Cove, and Starbucks.