St. PAUL, Minn. – Amy Kyllo (AMY KY-LOW), a 19-year-old college student from Byron, Minn., representing Olmsted County, was crowned the 66th Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, Aug. 21.
Kyllo will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for nearly 3,000 Minnesota dairy farm families. She is the daughter of Paul and Susan Kyllo, and attends the Association Free Lutheran Bible School.
Ten county dairy princesses from throughout Minnesota competed for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way title. Elizabeth Krienke (ELIZABETH KRIN-KEE) of Lester Praire, representing McLeod County, and Brittney Tiede (BRITTNEY TEE-DEE) of Le Center, representing Le Sueur County were selected as runners-up.
Rachel Paskewitz (PAS-KEY-WITZ) of Browerville representing Todd County, Grace Jeurissen (JEUR-I-SON) and Elizabeth Krienke (KRIN-KEE) both of Lester Prairie and representing McLeod County, were named scholarship winners. Kyllo was also named Miss Congeniality.
Throughout her yearlong reign as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Kyllo will make public appearances to help connect consumers to Minnesota’s dairy farm families. She will work to bring dairy to life through conversations, classroom visits and various speaking engagements.
Kyllo’s first official duty as Princess Kay will be to sit in a rotating cooler in the Dairy Building (located at the corner of Judson Avenue and Underwood Street) for nearly eight hours to have her likeness sculpted in a 90-pound block of butter the first two days of the Minnesota State Fair – Thursday, Aug. 22 and Friday, Aug. 23. This year marks butter sculptor Linda Christensen’s 48th year carving the Princess Kay of the Milky Way winner and finalists at the Minnesota State Fair. Other finalists are scheduled to have their likenesses sculpted as follows:
- Saturday, Aug. 24: Kayla Biel, Harmony, representing Fillmore County;
- Sunday, Aug. 25: Grace Jeurissen, Lester Prairie, representing McLeod County;
- Monday, Aug. 26: Brittney Tiede, Le Center, representing Le Sueur County;
- Tuesday, Aug. 27: Elizabeth Golombiecki, Morris, representing Stevens County;
- Wednesday, Aug. 28: Lexie Lange, Sherburn, representing Martin County;
- Thursday, Aug. 29: Elizabeth Krienke, Lester Prairie, representing McLeod County;
- Friday, Aug. 30: AnnaMarie Sachs, Eyota, representing Olmsted County;
- Saturday, Aug. 31: Rachel Paskewitz, Browerville, representing Todd County; and
- Sunday, Sept. 1: Donna Honer, St. Cloud, representing Stearns County.
Throughout the fair, Princess Kay and the other finalists will make appearances near the Butter Sculpture Booth in the Dairy Building, at the Moo Booth in the Dairy Barn and onstage at the CHS Miracle of Birth Center. Princess Kay’s Facebook page (facebook.com/princesskayofthemilkyway) will provide daily updates and photos of each completed butter sculpture.
Princess Kay candidates are judged on their general knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills and enthusiasm for dairy. Midwest Dairy sponsors the Princess Kay program, which is funded by dairy farmers through their promotion checkoff.
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