Miss Manteca will now forever be an undeniable of Manteca’s history.
As part of Manteca Youth Focus’ highlighting of the 50th anniversary of the Miss Manteca competition, outgoing Miss Manteca Christina Arcos and the young women that hope to be awarded her title today presented the Manteca Historical Society with a Miss Manteca crown and medallion in a glass case on Wednesday afternoon.
The crown will be added to the existing Miss Manteca display already part of the museum’s collection – which will soon expand to include photographs of every Miss Manteca title holder of the last five decades.
According to Arcos, knowing that something so close to her heart will now be enshrined in the annals of the town’s official record was a source of pride.
“It was a really awesome feeling because they’ve never had something like that in there before,” Arcos said of the experience of handing the crown display over. “Something that I got to be a part of will now be a piece of a museum with so much of this town’s history.
“It shows the things that Manteca does, and shows that we can make an imprint on the future.”
The current Sonoma State University student – an East Union graduate – was joined by all of the young women who will be vying for the crown as well as members of the Manteca Youth Focus Board of Directors and the Board of Directors for the Manteca Historical Society for the donation.
With her focus now on her college education and her future career ambitions of becoming a teacher, Arcos said that knowing that a big part of her personal history will be preserved is a great feeling and will be something that she hopes to be able to share with her own children one day.
“I was down there today and thinking that even if I don’t come back to Manteca after I graduate – if life takes me somewhere else – that this will always be here,” Arcos said. “What I was a part of is now a permanent part of the museum, and I could bring my kids back to show them that something like that here and it will spark so many stories and memories.”
The 50th anniversary of the Miss Manteca competition and the rest and the announcement of the rest of the Manteca Youth Focus title holders will take place today at Calvary Community Church – located at 815 W. Lathrop Road in Manteca. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased in advance at www.mantecahyouthfocus.org, or can be purchased at the door the day of the competition. The show is set to begin at 2 p.m. It will feature a special production that will highlight the 50 years of Miss Manteca and will include dozens of past winners who have pledged to come back for the special ceremony.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
