As the District 6 Dairy Princess Contest draws to a close, three local women are hoping that all the right moo-ves will lead them to royalty during the competition’s crowning gala event this month.

This year’s contestants who are contending for the prestigious title of District 6 Dairy Princess are Makenzie Neves of Turlock, Laura De Raadt of Oakdale and Hannah Young of Los Banos.

Neves is the daughter of Frank Neves and Zelia Carlson of Turlock and attended Turlock High School. She has been participating in 4-H since 2006 showing dairy cattle and has served as chapter president. Neves was also a FFA member where she was on the dairy judging team and served as chapter secretary. Her academic achievements include National Society of High School Scholars, California State Farmer Degree, California Scholarship Federation and being chosen as FFA Winter Princess in 2014.

De Raadt is the daughter of John and Joanne De Raadt of Oakdale. She attends Ripon Christian School, participating in concert and pep band. De Raadt is a member of CSF and has been awarded the President’s Award for Educational Excellence. In addition to her school activities, De Raadt is an active member of 4-H where she participates in showing dairy cattle. She plans to attend California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo and major in food science.

Young is the daughter of Richard and Gina Young of Los Banos. She attends Los Banos High School participating in 4-H and FFA. Young has been a member of the California Junior Holstein Association and the Merced County Holstein Club. She is a 2015 California 4-H Dairy Judging State Champion and FFA Chapter Secretary. She plans to attend the University of Wisconsin, Madison and major in dairy science and minor in agriculture business.

During her reign, the District 6 Dairy Princess will represent the dairy industry in Alameda, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties by making a number of appearances art schools, fairs, industry meetings, service clubs and parades.

The newly crowned princess and her alternate will also participate in a week of training in San Francisco, which was referred to as “Princess Camp” by committee chairperson Linda Teixeira. During this time, she will take part in industry tours, as well as receive presentation and etiquette training.

During the gala event, current Dairy Princess Deena Migliazzo of Atwater will relinquish her crown to the winner. Each participant will also receive a scholarship.

The contest is sponsored by the District 6 Dairy Princess Committee and the California Milk Advisory Board. The gala event will begin at 6 p.m. with a no-host social hour, followed by dinner and contest at 7 p.m. on June 18 at Our Lady of the Assumption Hall in Turlock.

To purchase tickets for the gala event, contact Teixeira at 634-4500 or 402-8305 or Lindsey Nunes at 678-2450. Tickets must be purchased in advance as no tickets will be sold at the door.