2009 Queen Selected at Fillies Derby Ball
- Author:KDF Press Office
- Date Published:04/20/2009
Harini Chenna was selected as the 2009 Kentucky Derby Festival Queen tonight at the 51st annual Fillies Derby Ball in the Grand Ballroom of the Galt House East. Harini is from Owensboro, KY and is a senior majoring in Psychology and Pre-Med at the University of Louisville.
This year's five Derby Festival Princesses anxiously awaited the traditional spin-of-the-wheel, performed by 2009 Fillies President Jeanette Aboud. The other members of the court include: Sydney Crawley of Lancaster, Ky., a sophomore double majoring in Biology and Theatre at Transylvania University in Lexington; Laura Hamilton of Elizabethtown, Ky., a senior majoring in Biology at the University of Kentucky; Meghan Lampe of Louisville, Ky., a senior double-majoring in English and Spanish at Transylvania University in Lexington; and Sarah Schneider of Jeffersonville, Ind., a senior majoring in Communications at the University of Louisville.
The five members of the Royal Court have been representing the Festival at a variety of events since their selection in January, including the Poster Premiere, Spelling Bee and AT&T Spring Fashion Show. They were selected as Royal Court members out of more than 90 young women who applied to participate in the program last fall.
Criteria for selection included knowledge of the Derby Festival, poise, intelligence, personality and campus/community involvement. Each woman receives two $1,000 scholarships (one from the Fillies, Inc., and one from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation) and a wardrobe from Ann Taylor, Doncaster, Regiss Bridal & Prom and Talbots.
The Derby Festival Princesses act as ambassadors for the Derby Festival and the city as they represent the community at a variety of functions. The Fillies, Inc. was established to support the Kentucky Derby Festival. Their mission is to organize the traditional Derby Ball, coordinate the "Princess Program," and publish the Official Derby Festival Program. Membership is limited to 250 ladies of our community.
Past Derby Festival Queens include Martha Layne Collins - Kentucky's first woman Governor, Gail Gorski - the first female pilot for United Airlines and a number of other community leaders. Many say their Derby Festival experience helped them prepare for their future careers.
This year's five Derby Festival Princesses anxiously awaited the traditional spin-of-the-wheel, performed by 2009 Fillies President Jeanette Aboud. The other members of the court include: Sydney Crawley of Lancaster, Ky., a sophomore double majoring in Biology and Theatre at Transylvania University in Lexington; Laura Hamilton of Elizabethtown, Ky., a senior majoring in Biology at the University of Kentucky; Meghan Lampe of Louisville, Ky., a senior double-majoring in English and Spanish at Transylvania University in Lexington; and Sarah Schneider of Jeffersonville, Ind., a senior majoring in Communications at the University of Louisville.
The five members of the Royal Court have been representing the Festival at a variety of events since their selection in January, including the Poster Premiere, Spelling Bee and AT&T Spring Fashion Show. They were selected as Royal Court members out of more than 90 young women who applied to participate in the program last fall.
Criteria for selection included knowledge of the Derby Festival, poise, intelligence, personality and campus/community involvement. Each woman receives two $1,000 scholarships (one from the Fillies, Inc., and one from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation) and a wardrobe from Ann Taylor, Doncaster, Regiss Bridal & Prom and Talbots.
The Derby Festival Princesses act as ambassadors for the Derby Festival and the city as they represent the community at a variety of functions. The Fillies, Inc. was established to support the Kentucky Derby Festival. Their mission is to organize the traditional Derby Ball, coordinate the "Princess Program," and publish the Official Derby Festival Program. Membership is limited to 250 ladies of our community.
Past Derby Festival Queens include Martha Layne Collins - Kentucky's first woman Governor, Gail Gorski - the first female pilot for United Airlines and a number of other community leaders. Many say their Derby Festival experience helped them prepare for their future careers.
