PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth’s River Days Festival will celebrate its 59th year of parades, pageantry, and hometown pride beginning in September of 2022.
For the young women competing in the Miss River Days pageant, the festival holds a special place in their hearts as they share a community service platform which is important to them. For Miss Minford, Mychal Cron, this platform can be distilled into two simple words, but ones which carry so much weight: She’s More.
When Cron’s family was directly impacted by drug addiction back in 2016, they felt a pain that so many families in the area know too well. Cron describes her platform as one which has been years in the making, long before she held the title of Miss Minford.
“I actually had an idea of the platform that I wanted to be mine. It began when my family became directly impacted by the drug epidemic. In 2017, I started making donations to the female inmates at the Scioto County Jail. I ended up making my negative story into a positive light for others. I turned my pain into purpose,” Cron said.
Cron chose the motto, “She’s More” for her platform because she has devoted herself to serve those struggling with addiction; more specifically, women in treatment housing. She wants all of those who follow her platform to know that these women are so much more than what society may label them.
“My platform focuses on educating the women in our society to let them know that there is hope and that they do have a purpose. Addiction can really happen to anyone, and falling victim is not a sign of weakness or personal failing,” Cron said. “With this platform, I hope to establish a sense of purpose in someone living with this disease. These women are more than the face of an addict, and we as a society have to start showing grace to them.”
With help from family, friends, students of the Scioto County Career Technical Center (SCCTC), and classmates, Cron recently organized a spa day for the residents of one of Hopesource’s female treatment houses. Cron and her team decided to call their spa Serenity Spa, referring to the Serenity Prayer often used as an affirmation in addiction recovery.
“The cosmetology students [at SCCTC] offered hair services, I had two nail techs there for nail services, as well as Steele’s Loft Spa from Piketon who offered facials and massages. It was catered by Market Street Café, ’83 Sweets, as well as the culinary students who made desserts for the women,” Cron said. “At the end of the event, each woman had a gift bag, and each of these gifts had a story and a purpose to go along with it, just like each woman has of their own.”
Providing women with self-care while they begin their healing journey is nowhere near the full extent of Cron’s service to her community with this platform. Last month, with the help of the students at Minford Elementary/Middle School, she gathered over a thousand personal hygiene items to distribute to treatment houses in the area.
Cron believes in providing the women she serves not only with relaxation and care but with dignity and respect. Their gratitude keeps Miss Minford focused on her mission.
“One of the women said, ‘People like you make me realize that life will be okay one day.’ That spoke wonders to me,” Cron said.
As the pageant looms, Cron reflects on what being a River Days candidate means to her. More vital to this young woman, however, are the people who have shaped her pageant journey, including her fellow River Days candidates and her pageant mom, former Miss River Days, Alexis Williams (née Commeans):
“I’m so grateful for everything she has done for this event, and for my journey so far in general. It’s shown me how to be myself and be proud of myself, and confident,” Cron said. “As long as I can be true to who I am, that’s all that matters.”
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