Popcorn Royalty Hopefuls Take the Stage Saturday

The 32nd annual Miss Marion Popcorn Scholarship Program will be held this Saturday, August 4, at the Grant Middle School gymnasium.  In addition to the eight contestants in that competition, eight others will vie for the crown of Ms. Marion Popcorn Festival.

The events will run simultaneously and begin at 7:00 p.m. Admission will be $10 for adults and $5 for children age 10 and under.

Eight will vie for the coveted Miss Marion Popcorn Festival title.  They are:  Kari Boles, Courtney Hamilton, Jonikka Shepherd, Jennifer St. John, Misty Cushing, Paige Denman, Jessica Swope and Danielle Davis.

Each must have graduated from high school, be single and be no older than age 24 years as of August 4, 2012.  The applicants will compete in talent, interview, evening wear, popcorn wear (an outfit that salutes popcorn) and an onstage question.  The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship, crown, banner, and prize package.  There are also four runners-up selected who will receive scholarships, banners, and a prize package. 

Ms. Marion Popcorn Festival is open to ladies single or married, ages 25 or older as of July 1, 2012.  The eight contestants in this group are:  Mandi Brumfield, Stacie Hines, Debara Tinnerello, Linda Blue, Sheila Swope, Tammy Harrison, Jana Pelter, and Danielle Twigg.

They will be judged in evening wear, popcorn wear, an interview and an on-stage question.  A winner and two runners-up will be selected.  The winner will receive a cash prize, crown, banner and prize package.  The runners-up will receive prize packages.

Contestants for Miss or Ms. Marion Popcorn Festival must reside in Marion, Crawford, Delaware, Hardin, Morrow, Union, or Wyandot counties; and will be featured in the Orville Redenbacher parade and throughout Marion Popcorn Festival.

Those competing on Saturday include:

Miss Popcorn Contestants

• Kari Boles
  Daughter of Bryan and Shannon Boles
  College –Marion Technical College
  Major–Business
  Talent Presentation – Tap Dance to “Dancin’ Fool”
• Courtney Hamilton
  Daughter of Justin and Nicole Hamilton and Cami Campbell
  College –Ohio State University
  Major–Early Childhood Education
  Talent Presentation – Vocal, “House that Built Me”
• Jonikka Shepherd
  Daughter of Barry and Melinda Shepherd
  College –Ohio State University
  Major–Education
  Talent Presentation – Clogging to “Footloose”
• Jennifer St. John
  Daughter of Bill and Josie St. John
  College–University of Cincinnati
  Major–Health Science, Pre-Med
  Talent Presentation – Vocal, “One Moment in Time”
• Misty Cushing
  Daughter of Robert and Marsha Cushing
  College –Mt. Vernon Nazarene College
  Major–Integrated Language Arts & Spanish
  Talent Presentation – Tap Dance to “I Enjoy Being a Girl”
• Paige Denman
  Daughter of Teri Monahan and Russ Williams
  College –Ohio State University
  Major–Early Childhood Education
  Talent Presentation – Vocal, “Temporary Home”
• Jessica Swope
  Daughter of Ben and Sheila Swope
  College –Ohio State University
  Major–Special Education
  Talent Presentation – Sandbox Tap Dance – “Funkytown”
• Danielle Davis
  Daughter of Mike and Jennifer Davis
  College – Post Graduate of Belhaven University
  Major–Theatre Performance
  Talent Presentation – Vocal, “Orange Colored Sky”

Ms. Popcorn Contestants

• Mandi Brumfield
  Married to Steven Brumfield and they are the parents of three children, Melanie, Daniel, and Chace
  Mandi is a stay-at-home mom and a part time independent market researcher.
• Stacie L. Hines
  Married to Scott P. Hines and they are the parents of three children, Courtnie, Caden, and Cloie
  Stacie is a Deputy Auditor for the Delaware County Auditor’s office.
• Debara Tinnerello
  Married to Barry Tinnerello and they are the parents of two children, Chadwyck and Lyndsay and grandparents of six
  Debara is a professional hair designer and owner of Arts of Illusion Salon.
• Linda Blue
  Married to Joe Blue and they are the parents of three children, Julia, Andrea, and Lindsey.
  Linda is a dental assistant in the office of Dr. David Jess.
• Sheila Swope
  Married to Bennett Swope and they are the parents of two children, Cosetta and Jessica.
  Sheila is a homemaker and stay-at-home mom
• Tammy Harrison
  Married to Joe Harrison and they are the parents of three children, Ranissa, Joseph, and Christian.
  Tammy is an assembly technician with M-Tek.
• Jana Pelter
  Jana’s hometown is Nevada.
  She is a United States Postal carrier and a child care provider.
• Danielle Twigg
  Danielle is the mother of three children, Dustin, Alex, and Lindsey.
  She is employed by Frontier Communications as a business sales specialist.

Main stage entertainment for the 2012 Popcorn Festival includes The Ultimate Journey Xperience, a Journey tribute band on Thursday, September 6; country sensation Josh Thompson on Friday, September 7; and Boyz II Men on Saturday, September 8.  For more information on the full slate of activities, or if you are interested in obtaining Kernel Seats for the entertainment, visit www.popcornfestival.com or call 740-387-FEST.  The Marion Popcorn Festival is sponsored in part by the City of Marion.