YORK -- After being crowned in a ceremony to be the new queen, Alisha Vavra joins the legacy of Czechs who are a part of the club in the York County area.
The Gresham native is currently a junior at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. She is currently studying music education in hopes of becoming a high school band teacher following her graduation.
“My last name is Czech,” Vavra said. “My grandma is very known around those areas. The club is for people of the Czech background or people who are married to someone with a Czech background.”
Vavra said she didn’t know about the club until this past March when the club talked to her family about her being queen. Vavra said a few years ago, the club wanted her sister to be a part of the club.
In order to be the queen, there is an application that a prospective member must complete before being considered. If multiple people submit their applications, there is sometimes a campaign for who will be picked.
People are also reading…
“My first reaction was excitement,” Vavra said. “I never thought I would be a queen in my life. I’ve met a lot of people. I also found a member of the club who I am related to.”
Each year, the Czech Club helps put on Oktoberfest in York. They organize and put the events together. They typically bring a brass band in from Milligan for live music.
Vavra said there are around nine Czech chapters in Nebraska. The club is also involved in Wilber’s Czech Festival each August. They also give accordion lessons to people of all ages.
“Being Czech queen is such an amazing experience,” Vavra said. “I have learned so much about my heritage while I’ve been in it. There is that sense of family. They love to give back and there is such a good comradery.”
As the official queen of the York Czech Club, Vavra is now their representative for the events they attend. This year, she was able to compete for the state Czech Queen title.
“I learned more about what the Czechs in general,” Vavra said. “I had to study a lot about their backgrounds. It made me dive deeper into it. Before, I had worked on a family tree, but I had never done anything this deep. I’m glad I was able to get this experience.”