Miss Inver Grove Heights Kickoff Dinner

I could not believe it was already time for the kickoff dinner. This event marked the beginning of the end of our time as the Inver Grove Heights royal family. However, it was hard to feel sad during such a fun night, especially with Jennifer and Matt Wallace as our emcees. With coronation fast approaching, this was a night to honor the 2013 royal family and also say hello to all of our wonderful candidates. During the opening introductions, the current Inver Grove Heights Royalty were escorted to the head table by their fathers, and I gave the invocation. After dinner was the first big event of the evening… the live dessert auction! This is always the highlight of the kickoff dinner. Each member of my royal family, together with the Miss candidates, had prepared desserts to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The proceeds from the dessert auction help to fund different things for the next year’s royal family.  When all the desserts were auctioned off, it was the candidates’ time to shine. Our Miss candidates presented their commercials about their sponsors, and then all the candidates (Miss, Juniors and Littles) showed off their All About Me outfits. This was followed with a big surprise for us when each member of my royal family was knighted by the St. Paul Winter Carnival for our service to the community. I was really excited to receive this honor as were the rest of the girls.  Each member of my royal family and I said a few words of thanks to everyone who helped make our year successful and fun.  To close the evening, we were presented our formal portraits by Dan Grevas Photography, and were pinned with our “has-been pins”.  These pins are given to the exiting royalty at the kickoff dinner every year in celebration of the closing of their reign. I will always wear it with pride!! Thank you to all who worked hard to make this event so special for myself and my royal sisters of the Inver Grove Heights 2013 Royal Family.

Kassi Giles                        

Miss Inver Grove Heights 2013