ST. PAUL, Minn. — Haley (HAY lee) Hinrichs (HIN ricks), a 19-year-old college student from Goodhue, Minnesota, representing Goodhue County, was crowned the 63rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, Aug. 24.
Hinrichs will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for more than 3,000 Minnesota dairy farm families. She is the daughter of Tim Hinrichs, and attends Iowa State University, where she is pursuing a degree in agriculture education with an emphasis in communications.
Twelve county dairy princesses from throughout Minnesota competed for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way title. Meghan Skiba of Cambridge, representing Isanti County, and Morgan Krause of Buffalo, representing Wright County, were selected as runners-up.
Meghan Skiba was also named Miss Congeniality. Skiba and Krause were awarded scholarships, along with Sabrina Portner of Sleepy Eye, representing Brown County.
Throughout her yearlong reign as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Hinrichs will make public appearances to help connect consumers to Minnesota's dairy farm families. She will also promote the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, through which she encourages students to get 60 minutes of physical activity each day and eat a healthy diet that includes three servings of dairy.
Hinrichs' first official duty as Princess Kay will be to sit in a rotating cooler in the Dairy Building for nearly six hours to have her likeness sculpted in a 90-pound block of butter on the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair – Thursday, Aug. 25. This year marks butter sculptor Linda Christensen's 45th year carving the Princess Kay of the Milky Way winner and finalists at the Minnesota State Fair. Other finalists are scheduled to have their likenesses sculpted as follows:
- Friday, Aug. 26: Emily Stocker, Jordan, representing Scott County;
- Saturday, Aug. 27: Morgan Krause, Buffalo, representing Wright County;
- Sunday, Aug. 28: Meghan Skiba, Cambridge, representing Isanti County;
- Monday, Aug. 29: Kiersten Sabolik, Kensington, representing Douglas County;
- Tuesday, Aug. 30: Makaila Klejeski, Claremont, representing Dodge County;
- Wednesday, Aug. 31: Stephanie Sukalski, LeRoy, representing Mower County;
- Thursday, Sept. 1: Kayla Leiding, Fountain, representing Fillmore County;
- Friday, Sept. 2: Sabrina Portner, Sleepy Eye, representing Brown County;
- Saturday, Sept. 3: Annette Kyllo, Byron, representing Olmsted County;
- Sunday, Sept. 4: Kalley Berg, Pine Island, representing Olmsted County; and
- Monday, Sept. 5: Kelly Schouviller, Callaway, representing Becker County.
Throughout the fair, Princess Kay and the other finalists will make appearances near the Butter Sculpture Booth in the Dairy Building, at the Moo Booth in the Dairy Barn and onstage at the Miracle of Birth Center. Princess Kay's Facebook page (facebook.com/princesskayofthemilkyway) will provide daily updates and photos of each completed butter sculpture.
Princess Kay candidates are judged on their general knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills and enthusiasm for dairy. Midwest Dairy Association sponsors the Princess Kay program, which is funded by dairy farmers through their promotion checkoff. Midwest Dairy Association® is a nonprofit organization funded by dairy farmers and works on their behalf to increase dairy sales, foster innovation and inspire consumer confidence in dairy products and practices. Midwest Dairy is funded by checkoff dollars from dairy farmers in a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. For more information, visit www.midwestdairy.com. Follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook at Midwest Dairy.
Source: Midwest Dairy Association
