ON a rainy night in the Garden Parish of St Ann, a new cultural ambassador was chosen to represent her parish at the national finals.

Twenty-four-year-old Rica Kelly, walked away with the title and crown of Miss St Ann Festival Queen 2011, organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), at the St John’s Anglican Church Hall in Ocho Rios on Saturday night.

Kelly, who wore the sash Miss Nine Miles, was a crowd favourite from the moment she took the stage, so there was no discord in the audience when her name was announced. Her equally-popular runners-up were Miss Edinburgh Castle, Adrienne Campbell and Miss Marcus Garvey, Ashmonique Fullerton.

“I’m feeling overwhelmed about the achievement and plan to take the crown at the national competition,” Kelly said. She hopes to become a cultural ambassador who supports the preservation of Jamaica’s heritage. Kelly also won the sectional awards Best Performer, Most Culturally Aware and the PIOJ Award for Best Representation of the 2030 Vision in the talent presentation.

Emceed by Eladio Garth, the show began with a group cultural presentation and leading to the introduction of the talented young ladies. There were inserts of the talent competition, with performances by the top three contestants, and other inserts of pre-competition activities as the audience learned almost as much about the girls as the judges. Between presentations and questions were selections by Positive Band and the 2010 Jamaica Festival Song Competition winner Kharuso.

Kelly will represent St Ann at the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Coronation show in Kingston on July 16.

The next parish coronation finals are scheduled for Saturday, May 7 in St Mary at the Port Maria Anglican Church Hall and Sunday, May 8 at Breezes Trelawny in Falmouth.