After a decade, the esteemed Little Miss Kona Coffee Scholarship program is set to reemerge for the 49th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. Michelle Sakata Johnson, Miss Kona Coffee Queen in 1977, spearheaded this project after she was asked to join the KCCF Board of Directors.
Michelle, daughter of 93-year-old Norman Sakata, who spent 47 years volunteering on the KCCF Board of Directors and sat as president for 19 years, was inspired by her father.
“My father spent decades contributing to the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival among many other community projects,” she said. “I think kick-starting this program is an excellent way to honor his legacy and to create a great opportunity for girls on Hawaii Island to be a part of something special.”
For Michelle’s family, involvement in Little Miss Kona stems across three generations.
In 2002, when Michelle returned to live in Kona after being away for 23 years, she took her 9-year-old daughter, Christian Johnson, to her first Miss Kona Coffee Scholarship Pageant. There, Christian became so excited with desire to wear one of those crowns, she suggested to her mother that they should have a Little Miss Kona Coffee Pageant.
“My grandparents, parents and I had light-bulbs over our heads and thought that was a great idea,” Christian recounted.
Four years later in 2006, the first Little Miss Kona Coffee Pageant was born with much success with Shannon McCown and later Tracy Apoliona as directors.
It was held for three years and then it just ceased — until now.
“The concept of this little pageant is a perfect way to help young ladies from age 4-16 to prepare not only for their future, by giving them poise and confidence, self-esteem and a stage full of opportunities, but also to help young ladies to prepare for the Miss Kona Coffee Scholarship competition,” Michelle said.
Among notable participants of Little Miss Kona is Ruby Jordan (2010 winner), who is the reigning 2019 Miss Kona Coffee Queen. Hawaii News Now’s traffic reporter, Lacy Deniz, became 2011 Miss Kona Coffee Queen as well. Deniz will co-host the program Nov. 3 with Eddio-O. They both went on to compete in the Miss Hawaii Pageant.
“We hope that for many years to come, girls from our revamped program will continue on to do great things, Michelle asserted. “For the first time in several years, our young ladies on Hawaii Island will have a platform to explore opportunities like public speaking and develop their confidence, self-esteem, poise and grace all at the same time.”
The push for participants in this year’s Little Miss Kona is now officially in full swing.
The 2019 orientation will be held Saturday and training and rehearsals will be every Saturday thereafter until the big day, from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3 at the Aloha Theater.
Categories are as follows:
Mini Miss – 4-6
Little Miss – 7-9
Young Miss- 10-12
Teen Miss – 13-16
The program will have a commitment fee of $75.
For more information, Michelle Johnson at 936-2200 or Coffeequeen1977@yahoo.com