Little Rock’s newly-renovated Robinson Auditorium will welcome 44 of the state’s best and brightest young women next Saturday as contestants from every corner of the state arrive for the start of the week-long Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant.
The contestants will be looking to not only earn the crown as Miss Arkansas, but will be vying for thousands of dollars in scholarship opportunities as well as a slot in the Miss America Pageant later in the year.
Like the current Miss America, Saavy Shields, who used the Miss Arkansas event as a springboard to her title last year, all 44 of the eligible contestants know that their opportunity to rise from a local or regional title to wearing the most important crown in American pageantry starts with the preliminaries early next week in Little Rock.
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to host the Miss Arkansas Pageant,” said Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola. “This organization represents the very best of our state. As a nationwide leader in educational scholarships, it is a testament to the commitment and investment in our 2 future leaders I’m confident these women will embrace our city and all we have to offer.”
The event being moved to Little Rock is a big deal after spending the last 58 years in Hot Springs.
Because of date changes and restrictions for pageants leading into the Miss America process, the week scheduled for the Miss Arkansas Pageant was unavailable in Hot Springs and the venerable Robinson Auditorium secured the rights to host the event this year.
“We are extremely grateful for the long tenure in which the Miss Arkansas Pageant was held in Hot Springs. Multiple generations of Arkansans have collectively seen fifty-eight women crowned Miss Arkansas in Hot Springs, two of whom subsequently became Miss America,” said Jesse Ward Bennett, a former Miss Arkansas contestant and the executive director of his year’s event.
El Dorado’s Donna Axum in 1963, Russellville’s Elizabeth Ward, who won the Miss America crown in 1981 and last year’s winner Shields are the only to Miss Arkansas winners to become Miss America.
This year’s pageant will be the 80th version of the event and hundreds of contestants have participated since 20 year-old Vivian Ferguson of Little Rock, who was later disqualified from the title after she got married, won the first crown in 1933.
Eight women who hail from the Inside Fort Smith demographic area will be among those vying for the 2017 title and include:
Miss Apple Blossom Reagan Wheelis — Wheelis, 19, of Melboure 19 is a student at the University of Arkansas and is representing the Miss Apple Blossom pageant in Little Rock. She will be performing a piano solo of “Pirates of the Caribbean” as her talent. Her speaking platform will be “Breast Cancer Awareness: Early Detection Is Key”
Miss Arkansas Tech Kelsey Stone — Stone, 20, is a Russellville native and will perform “Rise Up on piano and vocally as her talent. Her platform is “Healthy Habits 4 a Healthy Life”. She attends Arkansas Tech University.
Miss Arkansas Valley Carly Copeland — Copeland, 20, an Arkansas Tech University coed, will perform “A New Life” as her vocal talent and her platform is “Mentoring Matters”. She is a Clarksville native.
Miss Diamond Lakes Jade Collins — Collins, 21, of Hector is an Arkansas State University student. She will perform “I ho Have Nothing” as her talent and “Live the United Way: Creating a Bright Future Through Education” will be her speaking platform.
Miss Johnson County Emma Pitts — Pitts is a 19 year-old Quachita Baptist student from Clarksville. She will perform “Gimme, Gimme” as her vocal talent and her platform will be “Inspiring Creativity Through Arts Education”.
Miss Lake Dardanelle Raigan Alexis Purtle — Purtle, 20, from Russellvile is a student at Arkansas Tech University. Her talent offering ill be a lyrical dance to “castle” and her platform is “Mentoring:IOU (It’s Okay To Be U)”.
Miss Ozark Higlands Rebecca Ward — Ward hails from Clarksville and is an 18 year-old Arkansas Tech University student. She will be doing an opera vocal of “O Mio Babinno Caro” with a speaking platform of “Importance Of The Arts in Education”.
Miss University of Arkansas Darynne Dahlem — Dahlem, a 20 year old Greewood resident and University of Arkansas Honors College student, will perform “Somewhere” and has “Know Who You Are” as her platform.
Miss UAFS Logan Moore — Moore, of Van Buren, is a 22-year-old UAFS students and will do a flute solo of “Take 5” as her talent. Her platform is “Food For All”.
Miss University of Central Arkansas Kelli Collins — Collins of Dardanelle is a 20-year-old student at the University of Central Arkansas. She will perform a vocal solo of “I Have A Dream” and her platform is “make-A-Wish”.
To see all 44 of this year’s Miss Arkansas contestants visit the link HERE.
Donna Axum from Pine Bluff in the 1960’s was Miss America. Savvy Shields is her name. Pretty sloppy