Independence Day queen crowned
Ceremony held during downtown car show
POTTSTOWN >> MarDaije Pearson was crowned the 2016 Pottstown July 4th Homecoming Queen Saturday evening during the Pottstown Classics Car Show.
The ceremony followed the arrival of the queen candidates on a special Colebrookdale Railroad ride from Boyertown to Pottstown and a procession of candidates in classic cars to High and Hanover streets.
The 2015 Homecoming Queen Eliana Arroyo-Dech crowned her successor.
Other candidates included Mandy Kalil, Boyertown Area High School; Dyani Hairston, Pottgrove High School; Sydney Hansford, Daniel Boone Area High School, and Chandler Kalitsi, Owen J. Roberts High School.
The Spring-Ford Area High School queen contestant Sky Moore was not able to attend.
Pottstown’s Independence Day parade and fireworks were canceled this year due to a lack of funds, but the Homecoming Queen tradition was carried out as a collaboration of Independence Day Ltd., Colebrookdale Railroad and the Pottstown Classics Car Club.
Pearson, the 2015 Pottstown High School Homecoming Queen, is the daughter of Ana Carmona.
A recent graduate of Pottstown High School, she was a member of the PHS Honors Choir, Show Choir and Mixed Ensemble and portrayed Dorothy in the Pottstown School District musical production of “The Wiz.”
She was also active in Key Club and HOSA, and was vice president of Student Government as well as vice president of the Class of 2016.
Captain of the Pottstown varsity field hockey and varsity lacrosse teams, she plans to attend Chestnut Hill University on an athletic scholarship to study psychology and be a member of the CHU lacrosse team.
She is also involved in the Victory Christian Life Center Youth club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is currently employed at the Ice House Deli.