“Thank you everybody for donating,” Mike Nickels said of the competition, a fundraiser for the Niagara Women’s Club in which people pay $1 per vote for their favorite candidates. “Keep supporting the groups and the event.”

“It means a lot that people donated money in our names for the scholarship and that people thought of us,” Mike Nickels said.

“It’s just a good program that the community comes out and supports,” Jenny added.

She is deputy clerk/treasurer, water and utility billing clerk and administrative assistant for the Niagara Police Department. He is deputy with the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office.

Niagara Women’s Club member Laura Brinkman introduces the First Lady of Niagara and Mr. Niagara at Saturday's Niagara Lions Club Picnic. From left are last year’s winners Tiffany Hametner and Gordon Behnke and this year’s winners Jenny and Mike Nickels with their 8-year-old son, Jeffrey. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)

The Nickels were chosen from among three couples contending for the honor. Tiffany Hametner and Gordon Behnke were last year’s reigning royalty.

The Niagara Women’s Club announced they had exceeded their goal for raising money for two scholarships. They have an annual Easter Egg Hunt in the community and also each spring host the tea for senior girls graduating from Niagara High School.

Elesia Sweig, selected as Miss Niagara during the spring election, also received her crown at Saturday’s picnic.

“I’m very excited and honored to represent Niagara. This was an excellent opportunity and I’m glad I got voted for it,” she said.

The 17-year-old is the daughter of Heather and David Sweig. She has two siblings, Landon and Annika, who was a finalist for Miss Niagara two years ago.

Elesia Sweig, left, received her 2025 Miss Niagara crown from last year’s Miss Niagara, Mallory Sanicki. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)

She was crowned Saturday by last year’s Miss Niagara, Mallory Sanicki. Sanicki said about Sweig that “she could not think of a more deserving person. She really is a wonderful, caring young woman.”

Members of the court included Lydia Beard, Brooke Bruemmer, Jaylynn Kichura and Annalee White.

The Niagara Lions Club originated and has sponsored the Miss Niagara competition since 1968.

Miss Niagara was elected by Niagara High School students — along with city and town of Niagara voters — from among the five NHS students selected to be 2025 finalists.

Sweig will be a senior this fall and plans to attend college after high school but isn’t sure what field she will study.

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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.