INDIANAPOLIS — Meg Schleter and her family are huge racing fans. She’s attended every 500 Festival Parade, held the day before the Indianapolis 500, since she was 3 years old.
This year, she was selected to participate in the 500 Festival in a much more direct way — as one of the program’s princesses.
It’s just going to be less and later than expected, due to cancellations and postponements spurred by the coronavirus pandemic.
Schleter is a Greenfield native, 2017 Mt. Vernon High School graduate and Purdue University junior majoring in accounting. She’s one of 33 500 Festival princesses representing 14 colleges and universities and 22 cities and towns across Indiana.
It was surreal to be selected for the festival’s princess program, Schleter said, adding she did not think she did very well in her second round of interviews.
“I knew I gave my honest and best answers, but I was so nervous,” she said. “I was very surprised and lucky to get the email I was selected.”
The 500 Festival is a nonprofit organization that provides events and programs celebrating the Indianapolis 500. Its princess program participants take part in leadership and professional development programs and the festival’s community outreach programs. They also volunteer at festival events and participate in Indianapolis Motor Speedway functions. They each get a $1,000 scholarship as well.
The festival had suspended all of its in-person events through May 9 in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on slowing the spread of COVID-19. After the Indianapolis 500 announced it was postponing the race until August, the festival said its Breakfast at the Brickyard, parade and other events will not take place on their previously scheduled dates in May. The festival added it’s “committed to providing a calendar of community events that precede the 2020 race” and that it “will do everything possible to reschedule these events for later in the year.”
Schleter said she was saddened to learn she wouldn’t be participating in the princess program throughout the spring.
“It was something I was extremely looking forward to, especially as the semester wrapped up,” she said.
She and her fellow princesses were scheduled to visit elementary schools throughout the state, which she had done a little bit of already, along with events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Schleter also volunteered at the 500 Festival 6-Miler running and walking event earlier this year and started her leadership and professional development training.
Schleter said she’s encouraged by the festival’s efforts to salvage as much of its annual traditions as it can.
“They’re working diligently to try and reschedule all of them,” she said. “It gives me a lot of hope, and I’m excited for them to hopefully happen in the fall.”
Festival princesses must each host four outreach events. For one, Schleter planned on organizing a dog-walking event with her sorority to benefit an animal shelter. She wanted to pursue another at her grandmother’s senior living community in New Palestine. Neither are possible under today’s social-distancing guidelines. She is, however, working to see if her senior living community idea can be adapted into a pen pal initiative between princesses and residents.
A news release states that the princess program celebrates “Indiana’s most civic-minded, academically driven young women.”
Schleter said that’s what she strives to be.
“I personally have been given the ideals from my parents and everyone I grew up with that it’s important to give back to your community that raised you to be who you are,” she said.
She became interested in the princess program after her cousin, Emily Schaab (Bohannon), participated in 2012.
Schleter is a vice president of Purdue University Dance Marathon, which raises money for Riley Hospital for Children. Last year, an associate with the dance marathon participated in the princess program, which renewed Schleter’s interest.
“I thought it stood for everything I believed in, so I was very interested,” she said.
Elena Richardson, president of Purdue University Dance Marathon, has known Schleter for about three years. They’re in the same sorority at Purdue. She called Schleter “a perfect fit” for the princess program.
“She’s someone who would drop anything for her friend,” Richardson said. “She’s very loyal. She gives everything she can to the things that she loves.”
This year’s princesses have a cumulative GPA of 3.64 and were selected from hundreds based on their communication skills, academic performance, community involvement, commitment to service and leadership. Contenders submitted written applications and underwent two rounds of interviews.
