Sunday, April 1, 2001
Washington, D.C. - Wyoming's Affie Burnside was honored as the 2001 Cherry Blossom Queen in a ceremony Thursday night in Washington, D.C. Selection of the queen from candidates representing each state is part of the Cherry Blossom Festival that takes place each year to coincide with the trees' spectacular blooms.
As part of her new duties as queen, Burnside will travel to Japan in May and participate in activities associated with the two week festival in Washington. All fifty states nominate a candidate to represent their homes and the queen is chosen at random by spinning a wheel.
"First Dick Cheney is elected Vice President, then this," U.S. Senator Craig Thomas said Friday. "This is a wonderful honor for a talented young woman."
The annual festival celebrates the famous trees that line the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. that were a gift from Japan. The original trees were planted by First Lady Mrs. William Howard Taft and the Viscountess Chinda of Japan in 1912.
The popular festival raises funds for scholarships to District of Columbia students and other charities, as well as preserving cultural exchanges with the people of Japan.
The cherry blossom blooms also mark the traditional beginning of spring.
Burnside is from Jackson, Wyoming and graduated from the University of Wyoming. She has worked for Thomas' Senate office as a staff assistant in Washington since 2000. -30-
