For 25 years the Ontario Miss Mid West Pageant gave young women in Huron, Perth, Bruce, Grey and Wellington an opportunity to represent their area and raise money for their chosen charity.
But Walkerton said and president of the pageant, Barb MacArthur, made last weekend's event the last one.
"I think doing it on the 25th silver anniversary is the best way to do it," said MacArthur.
She said close to $100,000 has been raised for various charities over the years. And through to July 11, 2020, Ontario Miss Midwest Pageant Queen Brookelyn Butchart of Palmerston and Ontario Little Miss Princess Shayla Glazma of Harriston will raise money for their respective charities.
"The girls that are crowned now will continue to do sponsorships, raise funds, do events throughout the year," said MacArthur. "But on that evening they will put their title and their crown and sash in retirement."
MacArthur said the Ontario Miss Mid West Pageant came into being in 1993, after evolving from earlier competitions.
The first of which was in 1966 in Lucknow when the late Charlie Webster and Glen Walden started a pageant that incorporated Huron, Perth, Bruce, Grey, Wellington, Simcoe and Waterloo counties.
Webster and Walden would run the event for four years before a larger Lucknow group took over.
Then in 1993, MacArthur took the reins and changed the name to Ontario Miss Midwest Pageant. That name will also be retired on July 11, 2020.
Click below for the full interview with Barb MacArthur.
[audio mp3="https://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Miss-Midwest.mp3"][/audio]
