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Santa Maria Elks announce 2021 Rodeo Queen candidates

2021 Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Queen Candidates
The 2021 Santa Maria Elks Rodeo & Parade Queen candidates are introduced Friday morning. (Dave Alley/KEYT)

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- The Queen candidates for the 2021 Santa Maria Elks Rodeo & Parade were announced Friday morning.

The much-anticipated unveiling was held at the Elks Event Center instead of the annual Queen Kickoff and Auction Dinner held at the Santa Maria Elks Lodge. 

Elks Recreation President Peter Sterling introduced the candidates one-by-one during the event that was attended by a small group of family and Elks Lodge members.

"This is our Queen kickoff," said Sterling. "This is always the one that starts everything off and gets us all excited and charged up for all the rest of the activities that we have go on."

2021 Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Queen Contest Candidates

The Queen candidates are (from left to right):

For information on their upcoming events you can visit their Facebook and/or websites.

Last week, it was announced the he 78th Annual Elks Rodeo & Parade would be pushed back to Labor Day weekend, on Sept. 2-5.

The Queen will be crowned on Friday, Sept. 3 during the second night of the Rodeo.

"Our rodeo would not be where it is today without the Queen Contest," said Sterling. "It ties in the entire community in this town, and outlying areas as well."

The longtime Santa Maria tradition was originally scheduled for its traditional date in early June, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, the pandemic forced the cancellation of the Rodeo & Parade.

With today's unveiling, the candidates will have six months to raise funds, instead of the traditional six weeks.

"We give them some latitude because of the challenges they're going to have with fundraising," said Sterling. "But I think overall, they're going to do really well, and it just runs into the other activities that we have, and as things open up in our community, we'll be able to even offer more of those events that do lead up to our rodeo."

Since the first Rodeo in 1943, the annual Elks Rodeo Queen Contest has raised more than $14 million, with all of the money distributed to youth recreation programs in the Santa Maria Valley and surrounding areas.

"All that money goes back into our community," said Sterling. "For scholarships, and it's helping kids, and that's what it's all about in this valley. Rodeo is really about giving back to the community in the end. We really appreciate all the support that we've had in the community in the past."

For more information on the 78th Annual Elks Rodeo & Parade, click here.

Article Topic Follows: Lifestyle

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Dave Alley

Dave Alley is a reporter and anchor at News Channel 3-12. To learn more about Dave, click here.

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