When current and former winners of Captain Springfield get together, one topic is always front and center: How great it is to live in Springfield.
While no one is under the assumption that it’s perfect, each of the past winners has spent most or all of their life in the community for which the contest is named.
“I want to encourage people to fall in love with Springfield,” said Betsy Fogle, the most recent winner and current Captain Springfield. “I was born and raised here, and there’s nowhere else I’d want to live.”
Fogle took possession of the cape Wednesday as former members joined her at Tie & Timber Beer Co., a popular gathering spot in the district she represents in Missouri’s House of Representatives.
She was chosen by readers in August as the ninth captain, an experience she said she enjoyed. It was especially fun to compete against Brandi VanAntwerp, her boss in the nonprofit sector.
“It was a great opportunity to talk about all the great things United Way of the Ozarks does,” Fogle said.