At last year’s Little Miss Peanut Pageant in the basement of the Home State Bank building near Route 14, I took lots of photos, but my computer crashed and I never got around to writing an article.

Not so this time around.

So, let me walk you though the event.

Former Kiwanis Club President Joe Johnson introduced Master of Ceremonies Blake Hobson. Both were shavees at the St. Balderick’s children’s cancer fundraiser the Friday before St. Patrick’s Day. Johnson raised the most money, while Hobson came in second. Johnson raised $1,832, while Hobson supporters gave $1,310. Notice that they both have hair.

With a goal of raising $5,000 event chairman Mike Splitt saw a whopping $24,772 come in for pediatric cancer research.

The program began with the little girls walking into the room.

Then, they went down the center aisle. Note that I am not the only one taking pictures.

The interviews were next.

First up was Natalie Alexander. I was so disorganized the only note I took was that she has two older brothers.

I rode down the elevator with black haired Davina Arellano. She really had long, beautiful locks, as you can see this photo I took before the event began.

Her favorite book is “Take a Mouse to the Movies,” which delighted EM Hobson.

Anna Austin followed. Her favorite book was “Puppies in the Pantry.” Perhaps not surprisingly, she has a dog named Bella. He likes to chew on pencils.

Like Natalie Alexander, Haley Benard has two older brothers. A dog is named Hershey.

Mallory Hoffman likes ice cream. Hobson went through four flavors and she liked them all. In school she said she liked making paper best. At home, she plays with Barbie dolls.

Sponge Bob is the favorite show of Tess Meisner. Patrick is her favorite character. Her favorite subject in school is art. She likes to draw faces.

Alyssa Pavlicek also likes Sponge Bob. And, lo and behold, her favorite is Patrick, too. Why? “He’s funny!”

In school, she like computers. She mentioned a 7-month old youn brothers’ family.  All the girls were asked why they wanted to be Little Miss Peanut. Alyssa’s answer: “I want to win.”

Mary Clare Schofield was the last candidate. Being a guy whose last names starts with “S,” I know about alphabet discrimination. (It’s the last great discrimination.)

Math is Mary Clare’s favorite subject. “It’s fun!” Why? “I like money.”

She also likes pickles, which seemed to intrigue the MC. Turns out she likes sweet pickles.

Later I learned from her mother, Crystal Lake City Councilwoman Carolyn Schofield, that Mary Clare donated her hair at St. Baldrick’s, raising $750. Her hair went to a girl with cancer.

After all the girls were interviewed, the judges, Mel Walter, Miss Crystal Lake 2010, Colleen Bechtold, Miss Crystal Lake 2009, Heather Mueller Miss Illinois 2010 and Crystal Lake Police Officer Sean McGrath, who runs Operation Click, retired to decide who would win the tiaras.

Before those announcements, the girls again entered the room.

Second runner up was Mallory Hoffman.

First runner up was Davina Arellano.

Little Miss Peanut for the next year is Alyssa Pavlicek.

All the girls received gift bags and standing applause.