(ABC 6 News) — Rachel Visser, a 19-year-old college student from Hutchinson who represents McLeod County, has been elected to the 71st…st Princess Kay of the Milky Way at an evening ceremony on August 21 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
Visser will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for Minnesota’s nearly 1,800 dairy farming families. She is the daughter of Barry and Shannon Visser and is a student at the University of Minnesota.
Nine County Daily Princesses from across Minnesota competed for the title of “Princess Kay of the Milky Way.” Katie Ketchum (Ket-chum) of Altura, representing Winona County, and Grace Woitalla (Why-tall-uh) of Avon, representing Stearns County, were selected as runners-up.
Visser, Ketchum and Woitalla were also named scholarship recipients. Mackenzie Moline (Mo-lean) of Saint Peter, representing Nicollet County, was named Miss Congeniality.
During her year-long reign as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Visser will make public appearances to connect consumers with Minnesota’s dairy farming families. She will work to bring dairy to life through talks, classroom visits and various presentations on the nutritional benefits of dairy and dairy farmers’ ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.
Visser’s first official assignment as Princess Kay will be to sit in a rotating cooler in the Dairy Building (at the corner of Judson Avenue and Underwood Street) and have her likeness carved into a 90-pound block of butter during the first two days of the Minnesota State Fair – Thursday, August 22 and Friday, August 23. Minnesota artist and butter sculptor Gerry Kulzer will carve Princess Kay and the finalists.
The other finalists plan to sculpt the following models:
- Saturday, August 24th: Miranda Schroeder, Caledonia, represents Houston County
- Sunday, August. 25: Grace Woitalla, Avon, represents Stearns County
- Monday, August 26: McKenna Wright, Hutchinson, represents McLeod County
- Wednesday, August 28: Selena Corona, Saint Joseph, represents Stearns County
- Thursday, August 29: Katie Ketchum, Altura, represents Winona County
- Friday, August 30th: Katelyn Welgraven, Ruthton, represents Pipestone County
- Saturday, August 31st: Mackenzie Moline, Saint Peter, represents Nicollet County
- Sunday, September 1st: Afton Nelson, Owatonna, representative of Steele County
Throughout the show, Princess Kay and the other finalists will be seen near the butter sculpture booth in the Dairy Building. Regular updates and photos of each finished butter sculpture will be provided on Princess Kay’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Candidates for the Princess Kay program are judged on their general knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills and enthusiasm for dairy products. Midwest Dairy sponsors the Princess Kay program, which is funded by dairy farmers through their transportation grants.
