Each year Berry Queens vie for Her Royal Hi-Ness recognition to represent the group throughout the next year. Nominees for 2017 are back row from left, Cherie Lord, Lory Landry, Susan Sinitiere, Debi Harry, Lisa Lourd, Katie Botts and on the front row from left are Lauren Lamperez, Kelsea Varnado and Cathy Melancon.

Known as the Berry Queens — these gals mean business

Berry Queens are more than natural beauties — they’re powerlifters for some of Iberia Parish’s most worthwhile causes and events. And to think, the group’s success was inspired by a parade. Initially the vision came to Jerre Borland, a New Iberia transplant, as she stood watching the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival and Fair Parade with her small children and husband.

Like a flash, she transfixed on the royalty riding atop the floats, the pageantry, the marching bands, the pomp and circumstance — mix that with her fascination of the Sweet Potato Queens of Jackson, Mississippi, and you’ve got an explosive idea that only visionaries can see — or have a willingness to try.

“I thought the Sweet Potato pageantry would be great to bring to New Iberia so we could use it for something positive like Habitat,” Borland said.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of The Berry Queen Ball and Pageant produced the Saturday before the annual sugar cane harvest festival week. Anyone who has been to the ball knows it’s not just a “beauty” pageant — rather, “bling” for a worthy cause.

“The ball came about as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanities,” said Borland, founder of the Berry Queens and longtime board member for Iberia Habitat for Humanity. “I had an idea in my head but I really didn’t know how to put it in place until Habitat gave me the forum. They needed something to do that would raise money because we were such a grassroots organization.”

Borland joined the board for Habitat in 2007; the first ball was held in 2008. With a board full of men who didn’t want another po’ boy dinner, while they were talking about fundraising, Borland’s long-desired application for bling-dom came to fruition. She presented a flowery proposal that became The Berry Queen Ball.

“They looked at me with blank stares. Then Trey Hait asked, ‘does this mean we don’t have to sell po-boys?’ I said yes, and he said, ‘I’m voting for it,’” Borland said. “They had no idea what we were going to do, but voted for it anyway because it meant no more po-boy sales.”

The Ball Was Born

With a limited budget for catering that first year, Borland said she didn’t know how they would feed the number of guests planning to attend. By the end of the night they realized the ball was so tightly packed no one could leave their tables to get to the food. There was so much left over it was biblical — like the fishes and loaves — “God provides,” she said. They ended up donating food to the sheriff’s department.

“We’ve laughed about that. Nobody got mad, everybody came back the next year. It was just meant to be that Berry Queens would make it,” Borland said. “It’s grown and now we have it at the casino.”

The first year they outgrew the Sliman Theater and then Cade Community Center. The past several years they found a home at the Cypress Bayou Casino Pavilion.

“It’s a lot of fun and a celebration of being a woman in New Iberia and all the things we love about New Iberia,” Borland said. “This year we’re doing the 1980s. All of our membership will be dressed and all of our production will revolve around our favorite things from the 80s. It’s our tenth year together as a group so we’ll be celebrating that, as well as the people still around since our first ball rolled out. We’re very excited.”

Borland said each of the Berry Queens decorates her own tables at the ball and they are quite a spectacular part of the event.

Pageantry to Prosperity

Leah Fitch Babin, executive director of Iberia Habitat for Humanity, has family roots that grow deep in the community. She is the only employee of the local chapter of this international organization. Before becoming director, she was a Berry Queen.

When the Berry Queen Ball began, the average fundraising for Habitat was $2,500 per year. The first ball brought in more than $7,000 so the board met and approved a budget for the next year telling Borland to do whatever she wanted. Ten years later the celebration continues and the proceeds continue to build houses Iberia Parish residents call home. The program is not charity and requires a partnership that builds the future for other families.

“We have an application process for potential new partner families. We ask that our partner families make between $22,000 to $44,000 a year,” Babin said. “It is a thorough process that includes an interview with our Family Selection Committee. Once selected, our partner families put in sweat equity and are required to make a monthly payment to their home.”

Additionally, Habitat has a small Critical Home Repair program that focuses mainly on small repairs.

“We do not do major repairs such as roofing or foundation and we do not work on mobile homes,” Babin said. “There is also an application and interview process which tends to be put into action when we don’t have a major project going on.”

Since inception in 1992 following Hurricane Andrew, Iberia Habitat has helped more than 45 partner families with either a “forever home” or a critical home repair. Thirteen partner families are currently on the project board plus one family nearing the completion of their forever home. Another family is waiting for their turn, bringing the total number of projects depending on the ongoing funding raised for the organization to 15 families.

Babin said a home built by Habitat costs approximately $100,000 building a three bedroom, one bath, 1050 square-foot home from scratch. Plans are also available for two bedrooms, one bath, 950 square-foot and a four bedroom, two bathrooms, 1,150 square-foot houses.

“We work on donations and support from the community,” Babin said. “With that being said, we are a small affiliate so any resources we can gather are crucial to our projects.”

Although The Berry Queen Ball is the biggest fundraiser of the year, donations are accepted anytime. Hats and Hallelujahs is a fundraising luncheon held annually in the spring and other smaller events pop up from time to time. Their Candy Toss Parade is slated for September 22 and is just one of the benefits to New Iberia from its most extravagant displays of philanthropic passion — the Berry Queens.

Modesty Prevails

Thirty-seven people from different walks of life were at Borland’s first discussion of the idea. Jamie Hebert, who was working in promotions at Catholic High School, challenged Borland to come up with a structure for membership — something that had not even crossed her mind. The tiers of “high-uppity-ness” were the result and still are in force today.

“I hadn’t thought about membership. I just wanted people to give us money to do what needed to be done,” Borland said.

The membership structure includes Wanna-Be’s for women under the age of 30 who join with a minimal fee that goes to Habitat. Active members include Queens in Waiting, Queens, Diva Queens, Divas and Stalk Studs, the men who are members to help the Queens do what only they can do as husbands and men who work for the cause.

The mission statement at that time was to serve the world and the community in the way Christ intended, just “in a bigger haired, sparklier and more enhanced way,” Borland said. They had no idea how it would work out. The mission remains the same.

Queenly Honors

In 2015 The Daily Iberian named the Berry Queens its Citizen of the Year for their efforts throughout the community. What started as a way of building homes for those in need has blossomed into the unofficial role of goodwill ambassadors of New Iberia — The Queen City of the Teche.

Fully costumed Berry Queens have been spotted as greeters, tour guides, hosts, presenters and more at community events including Beneath the Balconies, Dave Robicheaux’s Hometown Literary Festival, The Daily Iberian’s Best of the Teche, Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival and Fair and so much more. If there is a need for hospitality and fun, the Berry Queens might just be around.

At the annual ball and pageant, Her Royal Hi-Ness is chosen. She represents the Berry Queens at the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival and Fair and at other queenly royalty opportunities for an entire year wearing a giant custom-made crown designed by the same person who makes Miss America crowns.

Not everyone can contribute the same monetarily, so the Berry Queens find ways for members to give their time and effort to help better the community, Habitat and other organizations. During her reigning year, Her Royal Hi-Ness chooses one other charity for the group to support. Although the money raised goes to Habitat, they do monthly activities that benefit the designated organization like serving at St. Francis Diner, events for Hope for the Cure, Paw-T for Angel Paws, Iberia Drug Court and more.

“We’re fortunate we live in a community where people come out and support things that are important to our community,” Borland said. “We’d love to have 50 or 60 people who’ve never been to the ball come. We’ve kept the same price for the ball without having a lot of auctions and extra stuff. We just love to have the money so Habitat can build those houses each year.”

Tickets are $50 with a cash bar, food is provided. The date for this year’s ball is September 16 at Cypress Bayou Casino Pavilion. Tiered sponsorships for tables also are available. Blinging perks are part of the packages — the higher the price, the more Berry Queens will do to say thank you.

For more information visit BerryQueens.com.