Laurel Festival Opens June 13
Leuthold and Morgan to Represent Clinton County
WELLSBORO – The Wellsboro community is inviting the public to join in the weeklong Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival celebration Saturday, June 13 through Sunday, June 21. This family-friendly event includes the Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen competition.
This year, Maria Alexandria Morgan of Renovo will represent Bucktail Area High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.
Miss Morgan, the daughter of Jim and Sue Morgan, was a four-year member of the National Honor Society, student council, Interact Club, Environmental Club and Varsity Club, a three-year member of Ski Club and a two-year member of the Journalism Club. In her sophomore year, she graduated from the Clinton County Youth Leadership Program. She was on high honor roll all four years of high school, a Renovo Rotary Club Student of the Month and earned a Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship scholarship. She was a four-year member of the tennis and basketball teams and played softball as a freshman, sophomore and senior. In basketball, Miss Morgan was a three-time PIAA All-State honors selection and a three-time Sun-Gazette Basketball Player of the Year. She took Mid Penn Conference first team honors in basketball and softball, was a state qualifier in tennis and a District 4 doubles champ. Miss Morgan served as a volunteer at community blood drives, trash pick-ups and with the Midget League Basketball Program in Renovo. This fall, she will attend Saint Vincent College in Latrobe and major in criminology. She plans to become a private investigator.
Rebecca Marie Leuthold of Lock Haven will represent Central Mountain High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.
The daughter of Brian and Andrea Leuthold, she was on high honor roll all four years of high school, participated in the Interscholastic Reading Competition for four years and was a four-year member of the Central Mountain Lady Wildcat Soccer Team and of student government serving as secretary the past two years, was Class of 2015 secretary for three years, a three-year member of the Central Mountain Lady Wildcat Track Team and a two-year member of the National Honor Society and student council. Miss Leuthold earned a coach’s choice award in her junior year, a varsity soccer “most improved” award in her sophomore year and an Americanism Award in 2011 from Lock Haven’s William Marshall Crawford American Legion Auxiliary Unit No. 131. She served as a Relay For Life team captain in her junior year and a Clinton County Special Olympics volunteer in her freshman and senior years. This fall she will attend Lock Haven University and major in athletic training. She plans to become a physician assistant.
While in Wellsboro, the 32 queen candidates will enjoy a full weekend of activities. They will gather at noon Friday, June 19 on the front steps of the Tioga County Courthouse for the official welcome. The young ladies will go to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon for a picnic lunch and tour. At 5 p.m., the candidates will introduce themselves at the free Queen’s Preview and Concert on the outdoor stage at the Deane Center and then join the audience to enjoy music by Los Blancos, a Syracuse, N.Y. band. Bring lawn chairs.
Saturday afternoon, June 20 the young ladies will ride on professionally designed floats in the Laurel Festival parade. Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. the coronation of the 2015 Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen will be at the Deane Center’s Coolidge Theatre.
The 74th Laurel Festival begins Saturday, June 13 with Family Day on The Green in downtown Wellsboro and continues during the week with a pet parade, concerts, juried arts and crafts fair and the International Street of Foods. The Laurel Parade at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20 features the Pennsylvania Bucktails, drum and bugle corps, bagpipers, high school bands, vintage cars, floats and more. The festival concludes Sunday morning with the Union Church service on The Green.
Tickets for the coronation ceremony are available at the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce at 114 Main Street in Wellsboro or at the door. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $5 for students.
For more information about Laurel Festival activities call the chamber at 570-724-1926 or visit www.wellsboropa.com.
