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2017 Miss Peach Queen Abbey Porter is crowned by 2016 Miss Peach Queen Hannah Tierce. (Photos by KEITH MCCOY/ ADVERTISER)

Miss Peach Queen Third alternate Anna Mims and First Alternate and Casual Wear winner Celeste Montgomery stand with 2017 Miss Peach Queen Abbey Porter as well as Second Alternate Brianna Price, Fourth Alternate Courtney Penton and Miss Congeniality Tiffany Davis.

Abbey Porter was awarded the $500 2017 Excellence in Community scholarship.

Abbey Porter was awarded the $1,500 Shelby Baptist Future Leaders Scholarship. (Contributed)

Laurin Tillery was awarded the scholarship People's Southern Bank Peach scholarship.

Celeste Montgomery was awarded the $500 St. Vincent's CoreValues scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship for being first alternate. She was also the Casual Wear winner.

Brianna Price was awarded the RealtySouth Scholarship.

By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Abbey Porter was crowned 2017 Miss Peach Queen on June 22.

Porter was shocked when her name was called.

“Is this a dream? Am I really Peach Queen?” Porter said. “Peach Queen is something that I have always wanted to be.”

She is looking forward to “representing our county and representing our peach farmers.”

“I’m going to soak it all in,” Porter said.

Going into the competition, Porter thought she had “some tough competition, [but] I’m going to do my very best, and if come out doing my best I am going to be happy.”

This was her second time competing in the Miss category.

In addition to the $2,000 Miss Peach Scholarship, Porter was also awarded the $1,500 Shelby Baptist Future Leaders Scholarship and the $500 2017 Excellence in Community scholarship, sponsored by Hayes Drug and Gifts.

Each of these additional scholarships were based on an essay contest. For the Shelby Baptist Scholarship, Porter wrote about the medical concern of the prevalence of alcohol among children. This was her second year to receive this scholarship.

Porter’s essay for the Excellence in Community Scholarship focused on an experience in Chilton County that helped her grow.

Porter was sponsored by Patty Bingham and Cindy Porter with RealtySouth. She attends Chilton County High School.

During her farewell speech, 2016 Miss Peach Hannah Tierce told the new Miss Peach to “not think too much about your makeup and hair or about saying the perfect thing. Think about how you make others feel. Think about being a role model for all the little eyes watching you.”

“Every new queen brings something different to this sisterhood. Think about what it is that you bring and embrace it,” Tierce said.

Miss Congeniality was awarded to Tiffany Davis. The Casual Wear winner was Celeste Montgomery. Montgomery also won first alternate, which comes with a $1,000 scholarship, and the $500 St. Vincent’s CoreValues scholarship. Fourth alternate was Courtney Penton. Anna Mims placed as third alternate. Second alternate was Brianna Price. Price was also  awarded the $1,000 RealtySouth scholarship. The People’s Southern Bank scholarship was awarded to Laurin Tillery.

Three teachers were awarded $350 for their classroom from Shelby Baptist Medical Center.  The winners were Brittany McKee, a Clanton Middle School sixth-grade teacher; Macy Welch, a second-grade teacher at Clanton Elementary School; and Jennifer Woodall, a second-grade teacher at Thorsby Elementary.

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Additional photos and purchase opportunities available at shelbycountyphotos.com.

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