Candidate Information Meeting – Tuesday, June 4. 6pm, Northfield Library meeting room

Ambassador Scholarship Program

  • CORONATION: 5pm, Northfield Middle School “BUTTON EVENT”
  •  Admission $10 / under 5 free
  • Sunday, September 8th, 2024. 5 PM
  • Northfield Middle School Auditorium

About Our Program   

The Defeat of Jesse James Days Ambassador Scholarship Program is designed to promote growth and educational experiences for young adults through the promotion of the Defeat of Jesse James Days.  We are dedicated to volunteerism and developing leaders who will serve as positive role models.  We focus on the development of lifelong skills such as public speaking, interviews, poise, building self-confidence, and future careers.  This is NOT a beauty pageant and NO talent is needed.  We want all the candidates to have a valued experience with lots of fun and memories! Three equal Ambassadors will be selected to be a team throughout the next year along with two Junior Ambassadors.  The ambassadors will spend the next year visiting many other communities and meeting hundreds of people through parades, coronations, and volunteering at other special events.  One ambassador will have the opportunity to participate in the St. Paul Winter Carnival and Minneapolis Aquatennial programs.  Click here to view answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Candidate Experience

Each spring, the Program Committee searches for candidates for its Candidate Experience program.  Candidate information meetings are held in May/June each year.  Click here to view the Candidate Application.

The candidate program lasts approximately 8-10 weeks over the summer/early fall.  The all-volunteer committee spends time with the candidates at different events and rehearsals to prepare them for interviews with a panel of judges and also for public appearances and service opportunities throughout the community.

In order to participate in the program, each candidate is required to find a sponsor.  The sponsorship covers the candidate’s entire experience from events, appearances, and rehearsals. The sponsor will receive their business promoted at all appearances by their candidate.

On the last day of the Defeat of Jesse James Days festival, our coronation is held and three young people are selected from the group of candidates to serve as goodwill ambassadors to represent the Defeat of Jesse James Days and Northfield for one year. 

Check out our Facebook page!

Reasons to be a Candidate

  • Fun, memorable summer
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Improve public speaking
  • Improve interview & etiquette skills
  • Gain friendships
  • Build Self Confidence
  • Learn Team Building
  • Learn DJJD History and get “Behind the Scenes” Experience

Candidate Sponsors

Each candidate needs to find a business to sponsor their candidacy. The fee is $350 and the sponsor will receive the following benefits: Advertisement on the candidate’s shirt or sash, coronation program, newspaper, mention of the sponsor’s name at all official candidate events, radio spot on KYMN, two free tickets to luncheon/dinner and two free tickets to Coronation. Click here for Sponsor Contract.

Ambassadors

The primary role of the Defeat of Jesse James Days Ambassadors is to serve and represent the Defeat of Jesse James Days celebration. They will do this by visiting communities across the state, volunteering at local and regional events, and promoting Northfield and Defeat of Jesse James Days at every opportunity.

PAST APPEARANCES & VOLUNTEER EVENTS:

  • All local elementary schools teaching history of DJJD
  • Special Olympics
  • Three Links Care Center
  • Miss Amazing Pageant
  • Northfield Retirement Center
  • Feed My Starving Children
  • Northfield Senior Center
  • Ronald McDonald House
  • Laura Baker Services Assn.
  • Minneapolis Aquatennial
  • Princess for a Day
  • St Paul Winter Carnival
  • Winter Walk
  • Many neighboring communities

Golden Heart Award: (formerly Miss Congeniality)

The Golden Heart Award is a title bestowed at Coronation.  In 2018 we lost a valued member of our committee with the passing of Shelley Brady.  At that time, we renamed the Miss Congeniality Award and established the “Golden Heart Award” to remind us of all those great qualities that Shelley possessed.  This a great  honor, one that comes from the candidates themselves, as they are the ones who vote for the recipient.  This award is presented to the candidate that exhibits outstanding qualities of spirit, warmth and kindness throughout the candidacy.  The recipient will receive a Golden Heart pin with a gift card.

Download your Application and Forms Here:

Questions?

Candidates Chair:   Allie Harmer  Harmer.ar@gmail.com   (507) 581-9408

Ambassador Program:  Julie Eddy  julieeddy@charter.net  (612) 986-9418

2024 Ambassadors Erica Jorgensen, Rylee Nelson, Danica Sorem