It's a royal rumble

The Fourth of July Festival season began Sunday with the kickoff for this year's Royalty Court contest. The Wrangell Chamber of Commerce (CoC) sponsored a gathering at the Stikine Inn, introducing this year's two candidates, Kimberly Cooper and the Athletic Amateur Union basketball team.

The competition has had teams run for Queen in the past, but CoC director Cyni Waddington explained this year's AAU team will set a first for size: 16 girls in the program will work together to sell tickets and raise money, which will fund next year's Fourth festivities.

Last year's competition raised over $108,000, and the previous year's winner Darien Meissner broke the individual record with $57,183. Half of the money raised by candidates goes toward Wrangell's Fourth celebrations, with 30 percent going toward the candidate who raised it.

A Class of '15 graduate of Wrangell High School, candidate Kimberly Cooper will be raising tuition money for her upcoming radiology studies at Kenai Peninsula College next year.

"I'm very excited to see how this month goes," she said. She will be selling a changing selection of foods at her booth next to the Elks, which was sponsored by Bay Company, the Totem Bar, Grandview Bed and Breakfast, Stikine Inn and White Enterprises. Cooper will also sell breakfast burritos bright and early, from 6 to 8:30 a.m. each day.

Wrangell's AAU team builds from the Stikine Middle School's program, with its season running from December to March.

"We've had this basketball club for a little over two years now," explained one of the team's coaches, Penny Allen.

Wrangell's girls get to play teams from Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and Petersburg, and improve their skills through practices and training camp. The money the team raises this month will go toward its program expenses, from travel to equipment and uniforms.

Girls participating in the competition include Adriana Larrabee, Aaliyah Messmer, Elizabeth Armstrong, Elizabeth McIntyre, Emma Martinsen, Grace Miller, Jade Balansag, Jamie Early, Julia Miethe, Kaylyn Easterly, Liana Carney, Maddy Harding, Renee Roberts, Skylar Larrabee, Kendra Meissner, and Tasha Massin.

Their booth will sell summer snacks like hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn and fry bread most afternoons, with a special lunch midday Fridays and pie on Tuesdays. The team's booth is sponsored BW Enterprises and LiveWire LLC, and supported by Angerman's, Johnson Construction, John Taylor and Sons, Stikine Sportsmen Association and the Volunteer Fire Department.

Shawna Buness is the competition's royalty manager this year, and at the kickoff she pointed out that the month ahead would not be an easy one for the girls. The two booths had to be set and decorated, sales plans devised, and hundreds of hours will be clocked in over the coming weeks.

"I'm really proud of all the work the ladies have put in so far," Buness said.

Running things is more than one person can handle, and candidates receive some help during the contest. As such, 10 percent of the money raised by each candidate will go to their ticket and food sales managers, who will also be putting in long hours this month.

Fourth of July organizers will also be putting in extra hours as they prepare for this year's festivities. Among new events being planned are an eight-part relay race and a shooting competition, and high school shop teacher Drew Larrabee has enlisted students to help bring back the annual soap box derby.