When Ally Elizabeth Burt places a new crown on the 2019 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen she wants people to look back at her reign and remember not instances where the spotlight was on herself, but rather all of the small moments she used the title to help others.
Her roots in Plant City are deep. She knows the responsibility that comes with her new position. Burt said she is both humbled at being given the opportunity and excited to see what the next year has in store. Her fascination with the Strawberry Queen began over a decade ago when Burt would watch the newly crowned queen and court take the stage her father was playing on at the festival.
Her father, Royce Burt, played in a bluegrass band at the Strawberry Festival for over 20 years.
“I always thought it was so cool how they represented the town,” Burt said. “I always wanted to do that. No other family member has ever been a Queen or in the court and I wanted to be the first. I know my grandma would be super proud. And I wanted to represent the festival, too.”
Burt’s grandmother taught Florida Strawberry Festival President Paul Davis when he was a little boy at Cork Elementary. Her grandfather, Royce J. Burt, was the principal at Turkey Creek High School for years and the gymnasium was renamed in his honor. Her family members names are literally written in the history books of Plant City for being among the first settlers of the town.
Plant City is home for Burt and she said it is an honor she doesn’t take lightly to be given the chance to help others fall in love with her beloved town and the festival that has been the source of “countless members” over the years.
Burt is not only the first in her family to wear the crown, but also the first from Seffner Christian Academy. She said she hopes her experience will encourage other girls who live within the boundaries and attend the school to go out for the pageant in the following years.
Faith is a major aspect of her life and something she said she hopes to be able to share with the community she so loves during her reign. Without her faith, she said she may not have had the strength and peace to be able to compete as well as she did.
As the clock began to zero in on 6 p.m. and the pressure began to build, Burt found notes in her jewelry bag from
her mother saying she had written a Bible verse on the bottom of Burt’s heel in anticipation of the night. That knowledge, combined with the many prayers she sent up during the pageant, allowed her to remain calm and confident throughout the rest of the event.
Kicking off the nude pump, Burt pointed at the fading black letters that just barely read Proverbs 31:25.
“She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future,” Burt quoted with a smile.
Burt plans to channel her faith and heart for others into a career in the medical field. Her grandmother and aunt were both nurses, which spurred her to begin volunteering at South Florida Baptist Hospital over the past summer. She’s waiting to hear back from one more prospective college but said she soon will be on the path toward getting her degree and being able to continue to help society.
Last summer Burt was a team member on a mission trip to Guatemala. While there, her passion for the medical field was affirmed and she said with a medical degree she can easily help people in all walks of life. She also volunteers at Impact Academy, a privately owned special needs children’s school.
“It’s taught me a lot of things,” Burt said. “It’s taught me patience and that everybody really does have something unique about themselves and a special quality.”
One thing she said she is most looking forward to about being crowned queen is being able to begin the service aspect of her title here in Plant City. She said she is excited to begin getting hands-on with different organizations in the community, though she admits she will hopefully be able to catch up on some sleep before the festival begins.
“It’s not about me at all, it’s about the festival,” Burt
said. “I love that it’s a small town but it still has the big-time things. We got the brand new grandstands and we have the great artists that come, great food, fun rides, there’s something there for everyone to do.”
Once chosen as part of the Queen and court, the five girls are ushered into a community of past royalty. When Burt was preparing for the pageant, Jessi Rae Varnum, the 2014 Strawberry Queen, guided her and offered her advice. Her mother, Kay Newsome Varnum, was crowned Queen in 1985 and also offered her aid to Burt.
After being crowned, Burt said her predecessor, Drew Knotts, was the epitome of helpful. Knotts told the young royal to never hesitate to shoot her a text if she needed anything and gave her a “super sweet note” to encourage her on her upcoming journey.
“One thing I love about Plant City is that it’s a traditional small town,” Burt said. “I just hope that at the end of it all I’ll have been able to touch a lot of lives and help even more people fall in love with our awesome festival.”