The Miss MN Valley/Queen of the Seasons Program is planning its first annual Past Royalty Banquet on Friday, Nov. 6 at the Shakopee Knights of Columbus Hall.

In conjunction with the banquet, two local business people will be honored with a "Very Important Person of the Community" Award. John Lenzen of Lenzen Chevrolet in Chaska and Dick Jonckowski of Shakopee will be honored. Each man was presented with a plaque and a crown pin from Joy Newgard, director of the Miss MN Valley/Queen of the Seasons Program. Both men have contributed several years of community volunteerism and have been heavily involved in the royalty programs in the past or present.

Tickets for the banquet, which starts at 6 p.m., are $15 for a turkey dinner and will be sold at the door.

All past or current royalty from any program (Carver County Dairy Royalty, Miss Carver Royalty, Miss Shakopee, Miss Jordan, Miss Belle Plaine, Miss Shamrock, Miss German, Miss Prior Lake, Miss Savage, Miss Scott County, Scott County Dairy Royalty, Miss Elko Speedway, Miss New Prague, Miss Company and any others ) are invited to take part.

Lenzen volunteers for the "2nd Alarm" Carver Fire Department and Carver Lions. He also sponsors the American Legion, VFW, Jaycees, 4-H, Girl Scouts, CAP Agency, Carver County Dairy Association, St. John's Lutheran Church as well as several other area churches, St. Francis Regional Medical Center, the Waconia hospital as well as several other hospitals, Operation Smile, Shakopee Derby Days, Chaska River City Days, Carver Steamboat Days, Miss MN Valley/Queen of the Seasons Program and several other nonprofit organizations.

Jonckowski, the "Voice of the Minnesota Gophers,” announces for the Shakopee athletic games and volunteers for the Lupus Organization. Dick was also the emcee for the "Miss New Prague", Miss Company A (Military royalty), and several other royalty programs for many, many years.