The Queen and Little Miss Spat contestants for 2019 include in alphabetical order: Katherine Campbell and Riley Prete, Amber Daughtry and Adalyn Parsley, Marissa Halbig and Skylar Beverley, Danielle Jones and Jillian Major, Caroline Painter and Sophia Watson, Abby Purcell and Ella Norris, Samantha Wright and Madisyn Wade.
Spat Evelyn Vergara is competing without a queen contestant who withdrew.
In coming weeks, each Queen and Little Miss Spat contestants will be profiled.
Abigail Purcell
Urbanna Oyster Festival Queen contestant Abigail Purcell and her Little Miss Spat contestant Ella Norris worked very hard this summer raising money to enable them to make blankets and care packages for their local nursing homes, and they also raised money for Avery Mitchem who struggles with heart defects.
Both Purcell and Norris have lost loved ones to heart problems and believe that every contribution, no matter how substantial or little, plays an indispensable part in saving lives.
Purcell and Norris worked very hard to make hand-tied blankets and to put together care packages for Dockside Health & Rehab Center and Riverside Convalescent Center-Saluda. Their care packages included a toothbrush, toothpaste, combs, lotion, first aid kit, chapstick, socks, tissues, and a word search book. They were able to make a total of 20 care packages, taking 10 to each nursing home.
They also raised money for Avery Mitchem, a one-year-old boy from Middlesex who struggles with Tetralogy of Fallot, which is a combination of four heart defects. Avery also has Down syndrome. “With everything Avery has been through he is for sure a very tough cookie!” said Purcell.
Purcell and Norris chose to have donation jars, bake sales, a paint night with a silent auction, and a barbecue take-out dinner at Saluda Baptist Church. They also designed their own car decal and koozie to sell.
Their first event held on April 27 was at the Deltaville Oyster Roast where brownies, pound cake, homemade cookies, and lemon bars were sold. The Deltaville Firehouse provided Purcell and Norris a prime location at no cost.
For the second event on May 25, Purcell and Norris had a bake sale at Deltaville Market, where they sold muffins, cookies, pound cake, red velvet cake balls, and so much more delicious goodies.
Purcell and Norris’s had another event on July 8 at the Deltaville 5k and Fun Run. They made a healthy Chex mix to hand out to the runners once they finished running and they also sold their koozies and stickers.
On July 13, they held a paint night with artist Shauna McCranie, and a silent auction. The Piankatank River Golf Club was very generous to provide a room for Purcell and Ella to have their paint night. Purcell and Norris had food and drinks provided for all the wonderful people that came. They had a lot of donations from businesses around Middlesex County. They had a great gathering with over 30 people.
The last event held by Purcell and Norris was a take-out barbecue dinner on July 25 at Saluda Baptist Church. This dinner included a barbecue sandwich, mac and cheese, cole slaw, baked beans, and a brownie for dessert. They had a great gathering with over a 100 people! Purcell and Norris couldn’t have done it without their friends and family.
After all their events and donations, Purcell and Norris were able to present a check of $4,520.98 to Avery Mitchem and his family.
Purcell has been a Middlesex High School volleyball player since eighth grade and played softball for three years. She has been on the MHS yearbook staff for two years, and is also a member of the National Honor Society. Purcell maintains above a 3.8 grade point average and keeps a place on the honor roll. Purcell is also a member of Saluda Baptist Church in Saluda. After graduation, Purcell plans to pursue a career in sonography to be an ultrasound technician.
Purcell is the daughter of Terri and Wallace Davis and the late Tommy Purcell, and the granddaughter of the late Roberta and Tom Major, and Tinker and the late Johnny Purcell. She has one sister, Kelly Best.
Norris is a first-grader at Middlesex Elementary School. She is the daughter of Danielle and Brad Norris, and the granddaughter of Beverly and Willard (Tuna) Norris Jr. and Darlene Early. Norris enjoys gymnastics, swimming, playing with her sister, spending time with family and friends, trying new things, and going on adventures.
