Fewer in number but no less enthusiastic, the four girls battling to be named queen of the 64th Annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo were introduced Friday night,

The Elks Rodeo Queen Kickoff Dinner drew about 380 people, many supporters from the four organizations sponsoring candidates.

This year's candidates are Lindsey Brown, representing the Rise & Achieve Scholarship Foundation; Samantha Garley, Santa Ynez Valley Elks Youth Recreation; Evangelina Marquez, Guadalupe Kiwanis; and Brittney Wood, Boys & Girls Club of Santa Maria Valley.

Dressed alike in Western duds - print shirts, black jeans and of course, the obligatory black cowboy hat - the candidates mingled and even posed for pictures, for a price, with Elks visiting from Cheyenne, Wyo. With that $100 divided four ways, the campaign instantly became a tied race.

The dinner launched weeks of fundraising, leading up to the crowning of the queen during the second night of the rodeo, set this year for May 31 to June 3.

The girls, and their friends, families and supporters, will spend the next six weeks holding barbecues, raffles, car washes and other creative fundraisers. Each $1 raised equates to a vote, with proceeds benefiting youth recreation programs.

Queen Committee Chairman John Glines said that the smaller field has prompted negative talk whether the queen campaign is losing community support. He dismissed that, added that the field is made up of “tremendous organizations” and “tremendous girls.”

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“What they lack in numbers they make up in personality, energy and desire, so hold onto your wallets,” he warned the crowd.

Later, he warned the candidates, “You've got a big task ahead of you” but added that work pays off in the form of ball fields, team uniforms and other youth programs supported through the fundraising.

Reigning queen Morgan Stevenson, who represented Santa Ynez Valley Elks Youth Recreation, also attended the dinner, and repeated what she told the quartet seeking to replace her.

“Words just don't do it justice,” she said of the experience. “So I just told them, ‘Have as much fun as you can. Enjoy everything so what comes out of it is the important part.'”

Santa Ynez has captured the crown 10 years in a row. Last year Stevenson and her committee collected $274,356, more than one-third of the $666,767 raised by all six queen candidates.

The 2007 field is smaller than in past years after several sponsoring organizations declined to participate for various reasons.

This year's campaign had been expected to push the all time total raised over the $10 million mark. Elks queen candidates through the years have raised $9,874,176.

This year's candidates are:

n Brittney Wood, 17, a junior at Pioneer Valley High School who represents the Boys & Girls Club.

She attended Boys & Girls Club programs during the summers as a youth.

“Due to the fact that the Boys & Girls Club contributed to me as a child, and the wonderful experiences that I have had there, I would like to contribute back to them by being their candidate and running for Elks Queen,” she said in her bio. “By raising as much money possible, I will enable other kids to experience what I experienced as a youth.”

Her family includes her parents, Rhoda and Mario DeLeon, and a younger brother Derek.

n Evangelina “Eva” Marquez, 16, who is a lifelong resident of Guadalupe. She represents her hometown's Kiwanis Club.

“I am the first in my family to be running so never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe that I would be a candidate,” she said in her bio. “Thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Guadalupe I have been given the wonderful opportunity to help the Youth and make a difference in my beloved community. Not only will I be helping my community but I also believe this will help me become more confident and a successful person in the future.”

The Righetti High School sophomore is in her first year with the school's Marimba Band as a Maraca girl. After high school she plans to attend Cal Poly to pursue a career in civil engineering or architecture.

Her parents are Gabriel and Nancy Marquez, and she has two younger brothers, Gabriel and Christian.

n Lindsey Brown, 16, who represents newcomer Rise & Achieve Scholarship Foundation.

The lifelong Santa Maria resident is a junior at Pioneer Valley High School.

“I am very happy to be in the competition because I have always attended Elks parades and rodeos,” she said. “I am honored to be a part of this competition because the money raised goes directly back to the youth of our community.”

She is a member of the Sunrise 4-H, as well as Pioneer Valley FFA. Additionally, she has raised swine for three years for the Santa Barbara County Fair, and plans to show a lamb at the Pomona Fair.

She plans to use her scholarship money to attend a community college for two years, and then transfer either to Cal Poly or California State University, Fresno, to study agricultural business or become an agricultural teacher.

n Los Olivos resident Samantha Garley, 16, who represents Santa Ynez Valley Elks Youth Recreation. She is a junior at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School.

“As the 2007 Santa Ynez Valley Elks Youth Recreation Queen candidate, I am honored to carry on a tradition of the Elks community service that I grew up with since I was a small child,” she said in her bio.

“Growing up, I participated in sports programs that directly benefited from Santa Ynez Valley Elks Youth Recreation. I played soccer, basketball, softball, and swim team, all of which were supported by Elks Youth Recreation. I am looking forward to a great campaign, and I will do my very best to carry on the tradition of support for youth programs.”

Her extracurricular activities include tap dancing, raising a lamb for the county fair with the Orcutt/Sisquoc Grange, and cutting horse competition with District 7 High School Rodeo. After school, she works at a training stable saddling, washing, and exercising horses. Once she graduates from high school she plans to attend Cal Poly and major in ag business/accounting.

Her parents are Mike and Cathy Garley. She also has a younger brother.

Janene Scully can be reached at 739-2214 or janscully@santamariatimes.com.

April 21, 2007