My Fair Lady crowned at 2024 Columbia County Fair and Rodeo

The My Fair Lady and Gentleman Pageant is always a hit at the Columbia County Fair and Rodeo, and serves as a way to honor seniors who have dedicated their time to volunteering throughout the county.

At the noontime event Wednesday, July 17, Karin Smith of Vernonia was named as the 2024 My Fair Lady.

Smith is involved with Vernonia Cares, the local food pantry. She can be found helping behind the scenes at the pantry — even when it’s not open.

Four other nominees were also in the running — June Shober of Scappoose, Joe Nelson of St. Helens, Tonya Higgins of Rainier and Elaine Perry of Clatskanie — each channeling their time into other valuable volunteer efforts.

Shober has been a senior center volunteer for years, a Veterans of Foreign Wars volunteer since 1979 as well as an avid quilter. Nelson has dedicated his life to safety work in the community and currently volunteers at the courthouse.

Higgins has helped out at the Hope Food Pantry in Rainier and volunteers with Meals on Wheels. Higgins also has a passion for animal welfare.

Perry offers a lot of her time at Turning Point Community Services Center in Clatskanie. She has also worked on parade floats for the My Fair Lady Court.

Henry Heimuller, former Columbia County Commissioner, is active with the annual pageant.

“We were calculating yesterday, we think this is the 35th year of the My Fair Lady Pageant, of course now they call it the My Fair Lady and Gentleman Pageant,” Heimuller said. “It started as a project of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Columbia County. It is now under the auspices of United Way of Columbia County.”

Heimuller said the pageant is a way to show the community the value of retirees who volunteer in the community.

“They do everything from working the front desk at the courthouse to reading to children in schools,” he said, adding that seniors also help in areas such as food banks and senior centers.

“This is a way to, kind of, bring those people who have been nominated by their local communities to the forefront, so everybody gets a chance to see and hear what’s important to them,” he said.

Heimuller said the pageant contestants from a bond and continue to take part in community events.

“From the time they get nominated in the spring, they tend to come together as a very tight-nit group,” he said. “They almost always become friends. Then they have a number of events they participate in throughout the year. They will be in all the parades and, of course, here at the fair.”

After more than a decade of involvement with the pageant, Heimuller said he feels privileged to participate.

“I look forward to it every year. I’ve been privileged to be one of the emcees for this event for probably 15 years or more," he said. "It’s a hoot, everybody has a good time.”