ALTON – Recently, the three Madison County queen representatives – Madeline Bouillon, Kinley Heath, and Leah Frey – made strong impressions at the Hit-and-Run/Riverbender Community Center massive toy giveaway. This is one of an enormous amount of events the trio has often worked together and volunteered for different causes.
Bouillon is the 2021 Madison County Fair Queen, Heath is the 2021 Junior Miss Madison County, and Leah Frey is the Little Miss. Bouillon, who is 6-foot tall, has become the leader of the trio who all get along so well.
The toy giveaway at Riverbender Community Center was the biggest and most special ever with $25,000 of toys donated by Dwight Fowler of Hit-N-Run.
Madeline said she considers Heath and Frey like her “little sisters.”
“We have all clicked together,” Madeline said.
Madeline, 19, said she has loved every minute of being a fair queen. She is a Carlinville native and a freshman at Lewis and Clark Community College. She has been competing in pageants since she was age 5.
“I have gone out of my way to attend different community events in Madison County and volunteer,” she said. “I have always felt super strongly about volunteering. I have volunteered ever since I was a young girl and I think it is a human duty that everyone needs to perform.
“My mom is the best mom ever and lets me do whatever I want to do. I have always been obsessed with Belle from Beauty and the Beast and I was her in the Halloween Parade. I love how big Belle’s heart is in the movie. I feel my heart is the same way and I don’t judge people by the outside, but what is truly on the inside.
“It means the world to me to be Miss Madison County. It is also a job and you have to be able to fill your duties and I feel I have done a great job of doing that. I am so proud to represent this wonderful county. I play alto saxophone in the jazz band at Lewis and Clark. I was in musicals and I truly have loved volunteering since I was a young girl. My goal is to be a high school biology teacher. I see myself being successful and the pageantry has turned me into a young lady, I feel like a businesswoman.”
Kinley said her role as the queen has shown her she is fortunate to have what she has and now she is trying to help others.
“Madeline and Leah all help me and I help them,” she said. “Leah has helped me loosen up a bit and Madeline has made me become more mature.”
Skateboarding is Kinley’s favorite hobby.
Kinley has been doing pageants since she was 6 and is now 11 years old.
“I have been competing in pageants since I was about 5,” she said. “My mom did it when she was young and enjoys me being in pageants. My family has really enjoyed me doing this. I get to meet a lot of new people with the crown.”
Leah said this is her first year as a pageant queen.
“I have had a lot of fun,” she said. “I plan to do pageants for a long time. It makes me feel like a princess.”
Leah is also a dancer and “Girl In The Mirror” is her favorite dance song.
When asked who her favorite princess was of all time, she said Madeline and Kinley are both my favorite princesses.
Madeline had the best quote of the interviews and it appears her role as a fair queen is a perfect fit:
“I feel I have the biggest heart ever, I love volunteering and I love talking to people and whoever wants to be friends.”
