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'04 Berry Festival Queen Wins Miss Winter Park Crown

Photo provided by Katie Sharer.

Katie Sharer, 20, has won the title of Miss Winter Park and will advance to the Miss Florida competition this summer.

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By DAVE NICHOLSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 16, 2008

PLANT CITY - The 2004 Florida Strawberry Festival queen has added another crown to her collection.

Katie Sharer, 20, won the title of Miss Winter Park and will advance to the Miss Florida competition this summer.

Sharer has wanted to be Miss America for years. If she wins Miss Florida, the Miss America pageant awaits in a year.

"She's very beautiful. She works very hard," said Becky Bangert, executive director of several pageants, including Miss Winter Park.

If her dream comes true, Sharer wouldn't be the first Miss Winter Park to take the Miss America crown. In 1993, reigning Miss Winter Park Leanza Cornett won the title, Bangert said.

Sharer was a local pageant winner for years before she won the title of Florida Strawberry Festival queen as a 16-year-old high school junior. Her other crowns include Little Miss Plant City, Florida Strawberry Festival Junior Royalty queen, Miss Tampa and Miss Florida Hometown U.S.A.

She is graduating in April from Paul Mitchell School, where she is studying cosmetology. She also has been working as wardrobe coordinator for fashion and pageant photographer Deb Knoske.

Her platform as she pursues Miss America is Go Serve, a charitable organization she founded. Go Serve matches volunteers with charities that need help. She developed the idea with the help of her brother, Matt, and mom, Vicki.

Reporter Dave Nicholson can be reached at (813) 865-4432 or dnicholson@tampatrib.com.

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