EAST PALESTINE High school will crown Sweetheart queen Friday

Sweetheart events help fund activities such as the junior prom and the senior class trip to Pittsburgh.
EAST PALESTINE -- The 50th Sweetheart queen of East Palestine High School will be crowned at 9 p.m. Friday in the middle school gym.
Lynn Linsley, chairwoman of this year's dance and reception, said many of the previous Sweetheart queens will attend. The reception begins at 7:30 p.m.
Linsley said band parents are the hosts of the reception and dance, the culmination of Sweetheart Week in the district. Each high school class nominates candidates, and the winning class is the one that raises the most money, she said.
Selling items: Students canvass the city during the week selling items such as candy, popcorn, pepperoni rolls and subs to raise money, which is shared by the band and choir and the four high school classes.
She said the money raised helps defray the cost of choir and band expenses and events such as the junior prom and the annual senior class Gateway Clipper cruise in Pittsburgh.
More money today: Linsley said that in the early days, each class selected a Sweetheart candidate and raised money by placing coin boxes around town with candidates photos on them. The candidates received one vote for each penny contributed. She said in those days classes were lucky to raise $50 for their candidates. By comparison, last year's winning class raised nearly $3,000.