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Anthony Gonzalez of Derby and Victoria Fatovic of Stratford are the Prince and Princess for the court. The “Royal Family” was selected from 34 candidates who were nominated from schools in Bridgeport and the Naugatuck Valley.
Campbell is a junior at Notre Dame High School in Fairfield. Winker attends Masuk High School. Gonzalez attends Derby High, while Fatovic attends Bunnell in Stratford.
Campbell is a member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies, the Care Club, and Campus Ministry at Notre Dame. She volunteers her time at a local soup kitchen and at St. Vincent’s Hospital and she plans to attend medical school after college. She also competes for the Notre Dame track and field team as a sprinter.
The contestants were interviewed by a panel of judges who chose the winners based on their records of academic leadership, enthusiasm and social skills. The judges were Carmen Colon, executive director of Alpha Community Services, YMCA, local attorney Dennis Bradley, and David Weber, a vice president at People’s United Bank, and Shawna Hall, a critical care nurse at Bridgeport Hospital. P.T. Barnum was one of the founders of Bridgeport Hospital.
“P.T. Barnum prided himself in nurturing young people to the call of civic duty, entrepreneurship and helping neighbors,” said Barnum Festival Ringmaster Fred Hall, vice president and general manager of the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company. “Each of these candidates are inspiring and we can look forward to hearing great things about each of them now and in the future. ”
The Royal Court attends many of the events of Festival, the annual salute to the life and achievements of Barnum, the showman, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and former mayor of Bridgeport.
The King & Queen competition is sponsored by Bridgeport Hospital. A donation from The Ernest and Joan Trefz Foundation provides scholarships to the Royal Court.
The next Barnum Festival event is a Pub Fest on Friday, June 19, beginning at 5:30 p.m. For $20, patrons will receive Barnum Pub Fest drinks at special prices at eight locations in Bridgeport.
Click here to visit the Barnum Festival events website and to purchase tickets for the Pub Fest.
