Reign with reason
First Princess Ball to benefit nonprofit
Arteja Stamps has been in Saline County for 15 years and said there are many girls who want to get into pageantry but either don’t know how or don’t have the resources to do so.
“For this one day, they can meet any queen they would like, get up close and personal and, for one day, be a princess …,” Stamps said. “I wanted something for us to have in Saline County and for kids to look forward to the Princess Ball every year.”
Stamps is the Mrs. Saline County Fair Queen for 2019, and she is hosting the first Princess Ball at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Center at Bishop Park. Tickets are $15 each for the girls and free for parents. Proceeds from the event will benefit FACS, or the Fight Against Childhood Starvation, an Arkansas nonprofit organization.
“I decided to start a dance for the little girls of Saline County, but it is open to all little girls who would like to attend,” Stamps said. “There will be activities, pictures and refreshments. There will be a lot of chances for the little princesses to take pictures with reigning queens.”
Stamps said that along with her, there will be several queens who will take pictures with the princesses.
“It is really great of them to put their day aside for these girls because I know their schedule can get super hectic. … It is going to be pretty exciting,” she said.
Tickets will be available at the door, but Stamps said that as of right now, only 50 princesses will be accepted, to prevent overcrowding. Tickets can also be purchased
online at eventbrite.com.
“We highly encourage parents to get tickets ahead of time,” she said. “I wanted to use my reign for something that little girls have to look forward to. My hope is that it continues to grow.”
The ball is for girls ages 4 to 14. She said there will be dancing and activities, as well, including coloring and crafting and, of course, food.
“At this point, it is all about the experience,” Stamps said. “I am in no way pushing pageantry, but I know every little girl likes seeing queens, and we are encouraging them to be confident in themselves.
“We aren’t pushing pageantry, but a night where they can be princesses.”
Stamps has two daughters, a 14-year-old and an 11-year-old. She said her daughters are the main reason why she pushed so hard for the “young girls of this community.”
Stamps has only been competing in pageantry for less than a year but has won titles in four of the five pageants she has entered. She said even though she hasn’t been doing it for long, “it has opened the door for everything else.”
“Right now, I hold four different titles,” she said. “Pageantry is fun, once you figure it out. It is definitely fun.”
Stamps said she has about 185 responses to her event posting on Facebook, with 15 tickets purchased as of Dec. 17.
“This is something new, and I’m hoping that it will grow,” Stamps said. “With anything new, it takes a moment to catch on, and I’ve learned that with any business, it needs time.
“So even if it’s not as grand this year, it will just continue to grow and continue to flourish. Even if it’s not huge this year, we will still have it again next year.”