Miss St. Clair Shores To Be Crowned

Young women from across the Shores have been competing for nearly 60 years for the honor of being called Miss St. Clair Shores. And on Saturday evening, another will be crowned.

The competition, which is part of the Miss America program, has been much more than a traditional pageant for participants. They have used scholarships they received to pay for higher education, become more involved in their community and the confidence to become successful professionals.

Eleonore Ellero-Groth, Miss St. Clair Shores in 1992 and co-host for this year's pageant, said the title had a large impact on her and her family.

"It did mean a lot to me ...  it really opened my eyes to the amount of volunteers in the city and how I could be more active in the city," said Ellero-Groth, who was one of the volunteers for the city's Memorial Day parade and an organizer of the run before the parade. "I had some invaluable experiences in public speaking I never had before. 

"It made me realize I don’t have to walk around with a crown on my head to start to volunteer and make a difference," she said. 

This is the second year the pageant has opened up to participants from throughout Macomb County, and while Miss St. Clair Shores may be from outside of the city, the title will remain, organizers said. 

The Little Miss St. Clair Shores and Miss Teen St. Clair Shores will be for residents only.

The pageant for all three titles will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium. The front entrance is under construction and attendees can enter through the pool entrance just off the parking lot.

Among the many things past Miss St. Clair Shores have done since winning the title, some include:

• Liesle Travis, Miss St. Clair Shores 2006, started the 5K run before the with Ellero-Groth. Funds collected go to scholarships for student athletes from each local high school. She currently is also on the Parade Committee. Travis is enrolled at Wayne State University where she is studying for her doctorate in physical therapy.
• Jill Kloster, Miss St. Clair Shores 2007, is the co-producer of the 2011 Miss St. Clair Shores Scholarship Pageant. She is a graduate of Rochester College and currently works at . She also sings with the band at Trinity Lutheran Church in Clinton Township and is involved with the church's young adult ministry. 
• Natalie Ann Griffith, Miss St. Clair Shores 2003, began a custom accessories collection, New York Nat. Her products have been featured in the New York Times Style Magazine, Cosmopolitan and Teen Vogue.