Two girls from Minersville were crowned princesses Saturday night in Pottsville.
Kara Pytko, 16, was named the 2014 Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival Snowflake Princess, and Elise Caroline Eister, 9, was crowned the 2014 Snowdrop Princess before a crowd of more than 300 people at Pottsville Area High School's Robert W. Wachter Auditorium.
"I think this has been the most amazing experience ever, and I didn't expect this at all. It's the most amazing feeling ever seeing all these people out here," Pytko said shortly after she was crowned.
Pytko said this was the first time she competed in the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival and that she entered simply for the experience.
"And there's so many great girls out here we get to meet, and we all became such good friends. It's a different thing I've never done before. I really stepped out of my comfort zone," Pytko said.
Pytko, a junior at Minersville Area High School, is the daughter of Kathy and Bernie Pytko.
One of the tasks Pytko had to complete to win the crown was to answer a question on stage.
Given by Henry H. Nyce, publisher of The Republican-Herald and master of ceremonies, the question was: "This year's Winter Carnival theme is 'Once Upon A Time.' Every hero has a tragic fault. What is a characteristic that you wish you could change about yourself?"
"A characteristic I wish I could change about myself sometimes, or most of the time, is second-guessing myself. I find that the first thing that usually comes to my mind is what my heart is really going for and towards. And if I second-guess myself, I'm not being myself, and I'm trying to be perfect or a perfectionist and the thing that's most important in life is being who you are," Pytko said.
The 2014 Snowflake judges were Jack Gensemer, Thomas James Campion, Thomas Palamar, Debbie Ferhat, Bill Pugh, Louise Wachter, Shelby Hostetter and Agnes Reiley.
There were 21 Snowflake candidates. The runners-up, from fifth runner-up to first runner-up, were Allison Mika, Taylor Lindenmuth, Erica Seitzinger, Rachel Coyle and Kayla Prezelski. Karissa Elser of Blue Mountain was named "Miss Congeniality."
Eister, 9, is a third-grade student at Minersville Elementary Center. She is the daughter of Caroline and David Eister. She has three sisters, Abey Eister, 8, who was one of the contestants for the 2014 Snowdrop crown; Leah, 14; and Anna, 2.
Eister was also given a question to answer. Her question was: "This year's Winter Carnival theme is 'Once Upon A Time.' Many bedtime stories and fairy tales begin with 'Once Upon A Time.' What is your favorite bedtime story or children's book? And explain why you picked that story or book."
"My favorite bedtime story would be 'Cinderella' because she reminds me of the Snowdrop Princess. I would like to become that princess so I could encourage other girls to come to the Winter Carnival because the last two years I participated, and I made many new friends, and I would like other girls to experience that," Eister said.
When she was crowned at 8:13 p.m. and handed the microphone, she was nearly speechless, saying, "Hello! Thank you."
The 2014 Snowdrop judges were Janet Grabowski, Carol Seitzinger, Amy Tobash, Becky Deitrich, Kristin Shomper Frederick, Jill Fanelli, Katie Hubiak and Corene Parrish, the 2013 Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival Queen of the Snows.
There were 29 Snowdrop candidates. The runners-up, from fifth runner-up to first runner-up, were Ava Putalavage, Maureen McDonald, Abigail Greenhalgh, Emma Wollyung and Ava Marie Frantz.
2013 Snowflake Princess Devan Direnzo, Minersville, and 2013 Snowdrop Princess Helena Michelle Fredericks, Pottsville, took stage to thank the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival Association, their families, friends and supporters.
Direnzo was given the $1,000 Billie Payne Scholarship, which is named after Payne, 91, of Pottsville, the president of the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival Association.
Established in 2008, the Payne Fund, administered by the Schuylkill Area Community Foundation, traditionally gives a $1,000 scholarship annually to the high school senior who becomes the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival Snowflake Princess.
The 47th Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival will conclude Feb. 8 with the crowning of the Queen of the Snows at the Pottsville Area High School auditorium.