Grand Terrace's Ashley Rivera Crowned Holiday Princess

This past Saturday, Dec. 6, Ashley Rivera of Grand Terrace was officially named and crowned 2014’s Holiday Princess at the 3rd Annual Holiday Boutique held at Brookdale/Emeritus Senior Living Community. Rivera is seventeen years old and is currently a senior at Redlands High School. According to Jennifer Araiza, Executive Director at the REC Center, she is enrolled in multiple honors classes, is involved with many different activities in school as well as off campus, enjoys volunteering with the youth, and is fluent in sign language. Before the event, Rivera spent the day being pampered at Bella Tresse Salon located in Colton. The event kicked off at 6 p.m. as community members piled in to visit the Holiday Boutique and participate in Santa’s Workshop. However, right at 6:30 p.m. everyone’s attention went to the crowning of the Holiday Princesses. Although the winners were already announced, Ashley Rivera was officially crowned 2014’s Holiday Princess as well as Bloomington’s Holiday Princess Astrid Gamino. Community members and attendees of all ages were allowed a meet and greet with the newly crowned Holiday Princesses. Holiday performances from The REC Center classes also had a chance to perform including the Tae Kwon Doe classes which was followed with traditional Christmas caroling. Hot chocolate and baked goods were served during this time so all attendees could enjoy a holiday show and traditional festivities. “The whole event is to bring the community together to honor and officially crown the well-deserved Holiday Princesses of this year… everyone came together to have fun and celebrate the holidays and the Princesses,” Araiza mentioned. The process behind choosing the princesses begins with a simple application which asks young local women why they deserved to be the Holiday Princess. However, there are no pictures or any descriptions of the girl’s appearance attached to their application. Araiza then takes the nominations to The REC Center’s Board of Directors for them to vote on who the winner should be. “They choose the winner based on their academics, leadership and community service,” she said. This is the first year they have chosen a Holiday Princess from Bloomington. She added, “There were about fifteen girls nominated between both cities, Grand Terrace and Bloomington and they [Board of Directors] chose the top two.”