Gadsden State Community College was presented the Outstanding Small College Preliminary Pageant Award during the Miss Alabama Pageant recently held at Samford University. This award is given annually to a pageant for an outstanding production.
The Miss Gadsden State Pageant is a preliminary for Miss Alabama and a part of the Miss America Organization. Gadsden State has been a part of this remarkable and respected system since 2001 and this is the third time the Miss Gadsden State Pageant has been honored with this prestigious award. The pageant has also been previously recognized for outstanding choreography, script, and set design.
“Participation in the Miss America System enables many young ladies to prepare for a career by providing scholarships and opportunities to gain life experiences while working on issues of importance to our communities. It is a huge honor to be given this award and we appreciate those who made it possible,” said Kay Smith-Foster, co-director of the Pageant. “Our entire pageant committee is to be commended for their commitment and creativity especially Dr. Judy Hill, co-director; J. T. Harrell, music director; George Terrell set designer; and Jamie Payton, contestant coordinator. Their expertise along with the help of our “backstage moms” each year really makes our pageant special. None of this would be possible without the tireless effort and support of our Gadsden State family of volunteers.”
The Miss America Organization is one of the nation’s leading achievement programs and the largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Organization, including its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance.
Community service is a component of the competition with each contestant promoting a special cause referred to as their platform. Since 2006 the Gadsden State contestants have volunteered over 8,700 hours and raised more than $13,000 for various charities. “This year our contestants volunteered a total of 2,183 hours promoting their platforms and raised $945 for Children’s MiracleNetwork and other charities. Our contestants have a spirited and competitive attitude about their platforms,” commented Dr. Hill. The Miss America Organization and all of its participants in state and local pageants support the Children’s Miracle Network. Since 2007contestants nationwide have raised over $6 million dollars for this worthy organization.
The Miss Gadsden State 2015 Pageant will be held at the Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center in Gadsden, November 7, 2014.