New Mattituck Strawberry Queen Honors Past Winner, Lost Too Soon

MATTITUCK, NY — A new Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Queen was crowned Saturday — and she paid moving tribute to a former winner, lost too soon.

Alexandra Piscatelli, 17, a junior at Mattituck High School, won the title of 2023 Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Queen.

The sweet tradition of crowning the Strawberry Queen was a highlight of 68th Annual Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Festival, which runs through Sunday.

Prospective Strawberry Queens undergo a "rigorous" process, members of the Mattituck Lions Club said, filling out applications, which are vetted by three members of the Guide Dog Foundation and include information such as the girls' extracurricular activities and community service experience. Then, they attend a Lions' dinner, where they are interviewed, and the finalists are chosen.

This year, finalists included Madeline Palumbo, 16, a junior at Southold High School, who won the runner up title.

Finalists also included Cameron Stanton, 17, a junior at Greenport High School, Reagan Treharne, 15, a sophomore at Southold, and Caroline Little, a junior at Mattituck.

Francesca Lynch, the 2022 Strawberry Queen, took the stage to reflect on her year of service. She thanked Darla Doorhy, who, along with her husband Joe, lost their daughter Kaitlyn Doorhy, a former Strawberry Queen, when she died after being struck by a car while away at college in August, 2014.

Kaitlyn's memory lives on through Kait's Angels, a not-for-profit organization created to help others in need, a reflection of her caring heart.

"Darla Doorhy, thank you so much for your kindness and guidance," Francesca said. "The work that you do and Kait's Angels does for our community is amazing. The depth of your generosity and commitment to others is inspiring. Your positive outlook and kind spirit can teach us all how to better live our lives through giving to others. You have touched so many lives and I only hope that in years to come I can model the example I have seen from you."

Francesca also said the experience of serving as Strawberry Queen was "everything I could have imagined and more. I'll remember this time for the rest of my life."

After winning and donning her crown, as well as her ceremonial strawberry-shaped scepter, Alexandra spoke to Patch about Kaitlyn Doorhy, who inspired her journey.

Alexandra said she was about six when Kaityn died, so she didn't get to know her very well. "But she was the most beautiful and inspirational girl I think I've ever met in my life. I'm glad I got to follow in her footsteps."

As Strawberry Queen, she said, "I hope I get to be that inspiration for another little girl — as Kaitlyn Doorhy was to me."

She then lifted the hem of her dress — where she had pinned Kaitlyn Doorhy's photo, taken on the day she was crowned Strawberry Queen in 2011.

Runner up Madeline Palumbo, the daughter of New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo, attended the ceremony with her parents.

"I'm so grateful to be part of the whole thing. It was so much fun," Madeline said. "And Allie really deserved it — I'm so happy for her."