The world's largest single-day sporting event, the Indianapolis 500, celebrates its prestige with the 500 Festival - a 47-year tradition with over 400,000 volunteers from across Indiana, as well as the world. This month-long celebration is complete with a mini-marathon, parade, memorial service and snakepit ball.
Five Ball State students will take part in the festival as 500 Festival Princesses, along with 28 other women. Danielle Bauman, Ashley Benner and Kristin Danielson, seniors, and Stephanie Wells and Jennifer Bierck, juniors, were chosen out of 134 applicants. The princesses attend festival events, participate in volunteer services and complete outreach programs of their choosing throughout the state.
Melissa Mann, communications director of the 500 Festival, said the princesses help residents in Indiana learn more about the Indy 500 race and events.
"They take the message of the 500 Festival back to their hometowns," Mann said. "It's our way of reaching other viewers and other people in the state who might want to come here and learn about our events."
The women share word of the festival through visits to their hometown elementary schools, high schools, nursing homes and hospitals, said Mann.
Bauman said she believes the experience helps the women.
"We've done hospital visits, and it really puts life in perspective," Bauman said. "You realize how lucky you are to have the opportunities you do. You're always improved by meeting new people. I'd say it's improved all of us."
The princesses are selected based on poise, community and volunteer involvement, communication skills and academic performance, Mann said. Candidates need to be between the ages of 19 and 23, single, legal residents of Indiana and possess at least a 2.8 grade point average. However, it is not a pageant, Mann said. The women's character is what the interviews and program emphasizes.
The princesses are paired with a member of the board of directors for the 500 Festival, helping them build confidence and abilities to interact with the community. This opportunity also allows the women to make connections in industries in their future.
Wells took advantage of the opportunities the program has granted her.-รก
"[The program] has definitely helped in my interviewing skills," Wells said. "We had a public speaking competition, and it helped with that and just overall interaction with people. It's well worth it. It's a lot of work, and it's time-consuming, but it's so much fun, you don't mind it."
Bierck said she feels the princess program has been worthwhile as well.
"I would say that it's made me a much more approachable person," Bierck said. "You have probably 100 little kids asking for your autograph, and you kind of giggle to yourself thinking, 'A lot this is going to be worth,' but to them, it's worth everything."
Going through the program left Bierck grateful for her experiences, she said.
"It's been one of the greatest months of my life," Bierck said. "I've been an avid race fan all my life, so to do [the princess program] has been a pivotal experience. I've been going to the 500 since I was 12, and I always thought it'd be the greatest thing in the world to do this. You get to take a lap around the track and wave to the 250,000 people that come out for race day, and...it's just amazing."
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