Cherryl’s Blog

I found this terrific article on www.tftj.com with some interesting trivia about the Miss Mississippi and Miss America pageant over the years.

The Mississippi state pageant started in 1934, has been held in Vicksburg since 1958.

Mississippi has had four Miss America winners. And the first two were back-to-back winners. Then the third one, came exactly 20 years later. The last winner came six year later in 1986.

They have finished in the top 5 thirteen times….. 1st RU : 1949, 4th RU : 1953, 1st RU : 1965, 1st RU : 1967, 3rd RU : 1970, 2nd RU (tie) : 1980, 2nd RU : 1982, 3rd RU : 1983, 2nd RU : 1984, 4th RU : 1987, 4th RU : 1991, 2nd RU : 1997, 3rd RU : and 2000, 3rd RU.  In 2007, Taryn Foshee came very close to becoming the thirteenth Mississippi representative to wear the national crown when she finished as 3^rd runner-up.

Mississippi has also made the semi-finalist eight times…. 1981, 1985, 1988, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002. They have also place in the quarter-finalist twice when Becky Pruett made it in 2001 and 2008 when Kimberly Morgan placed.

At the Miss America pageant, Mississippi representatives have captured an amazing 12 Preliminary Swimsuit Awards. Mississippi representatives have also captured a number of Preliminary and Non-Finalist Talent award as well.

In State Pageant History, Hattiesburg is home to nine Miss Mississippis; more than any other city/town.

Five Miss Mississippi’s went on to compete for the title of Miss USA representing the Magnolia State. Jennifer Adcock (’02) finished in the top ten at Miss USA in 2005 and Kathy Manning (’84) finished in the top ten in 1987.

via  Turn For The Judges

Tags: Miss+Mississippi+Pageant, Miss+America+Preliminary, Miss+Mississippi+History,Past+Miss+Mississippi+Winners, Pageant+History, Pageant+Trivia, Mississippi+Pageant+Facts

Cherryl’s girls are doing well!!!

Brittainy Childers, one of four contestants sponsored by Cherryl’s Bridal  / Cherryl’s Prom and Pageant is center stage in Vicksburg both on the stage and in the Vicksburg Post. 

Check her out dancing in the long red dress — doesn’t she look like she’s having a blast!

By the way,  that green dress that almost made the shot is dancing her heart out too and is Alison Parson, Miss Alcorn County and another of Cherryl’s girls.  If that photographer could have just schooched back a wee bit….  

Kiefer Slaton, right, dances with Miss Magnolia Brittainy Childers during Wednesday night’s Miss Mississippi competition at the Vicksburg Convention Center. At left is Rob Ware, owner of The Ware House. Kiefer is the son of Kimble and Susan Slaton. (Meredith Spencer * The Vicksburg Post)

Local Ballroom Men lend a toe to show

By Emily Henry

[06/26/08]

For 51 years, Vicksburg has played host to the Miss Mississippi Pageant, lending its volunteers and city to the influx of contestants and their families. Until this pageant, a local resident represented the city in the pageant as Miss Vicksburg.

Instead, this year, the city is lending nine of its men to be ballroom dancers and partners to the 45 contestants.

“I love the idea of local business people, especially business leaders, being involved in this,” said Rob Ware, owner of downtown hotel, lounge and sports bar and grille development The Ware House.

Ware said the idea was pitched as a “Dancing With the Stars”-type endeavor.

“I think it’s important to support the pageant. The pageant brings really good quality people to the community,” he said.

The men, who have dubbed themselves the Ballroom Men, dance with the contestants throughout the production and even give the contestants “dance cards” - their on-stage question.

via  Local Ballroom Men lend a toe to show.    From the Vicksburg Post. 

 MISS MISSISSIPPI 2008

Miss Mississippi State University Corie Stanford, left, takes a talent win and Miss Hinds County Diana Strickland takes swimsuit competition Tuesday night. (Meredith Spencer * The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi State, Hinds County take first night

By Emily Henry

[06/25/08]

Two pageant veterans took home the honors Tuesday in the 2008 Miss Mississippi Pageant’s first night of preliminary competition at the Vicksburg Convention Center. It is the pageant’s 51st year in Vicksburg.

Third-year competitor Miss Mississippi State University Corie Stanford won Tuesday’s preliminary talent award by singing “Time to Say Goodbye.”

“I thought it was beautiful,” she said about why she chose the Sarah Brightman song. “It moved me.”

The song, from an opera, was partially in Italian, which made it a challenge, 21-year-old Stanford said.

Stanford competed for the Miss Mississippi title as Miss Itawamba Community College in 2006 and Miss Tupelo in 2007, placing in the Top 10 both years. She received a preliminary talent award in 2006.

via  Mississippi State, Hinds County take first night.  From the Vicksburg Post. 

The time has finally come.  We’ve been running around like crazy, ensuring dresses are perfect fits, interview and swim suits are ready to go and that everything and everyone is where it needs to be when it needs to be there.

If you’ve never been behind the scenes of a pageant like this you’d likely be in for a surprise. 

So much work goes into it while at this same time these girls are keeping their platforms active, excercising like fiends, training for perfection in talent, boning up for interview and generally also trying to deal with college classes, friends, families, boyfriends, etc..   

We’ve even had two of our girls with very serious family illnesses right at pageant time.

I have to admit that I’ve looked down my nose at pageants in the past and even thought what ditzy, ridiculous things they are.   The longer I work with Cherryl and the more I participate in the behind the scenes of what these girls have to do to win — and the scholarships they win and good work they do along the way — I’m being won over.  It’s really not all about a pretty face.  (whisper… and I was a bit hard to convince)

Don’t let yourself be fooled by those pretty faces.  If they’ve made it to that stage — they’re tough!

From the Vicksburg Times
(the link to the entire article is at the bottom of the post)

45 contestants arriving today for Miss Mississippi 2008 week

By Emily Henry

[06/22/08]

Forty-five Miss Mississippi 2008 contestants will register at the Vicksburg Convention Center this morning, and, on Saturday night, one will be the 51st Miss Mississippi crowned in Vicksburg.

A whirl of activities is planned for this week, including three nights of preliminary competition, a ball, a parade, the Miss Mississippi mural unveiling, autograph parties and the final televised night of competition in which the winner will be revealed and crowned. The final night’s competition and crowning will be broadcast on WLBT TV-3.

The Miss Mississippi Pageant and its parent Miss America Pageant are scholarship pageants. Last year, Miss Mississippi gave $666,000 in cash and in-kind scholarships to contestants. One major hallmark of the state pageant is that every contestant is awarded some scholarship money. Last year, each contestant was awarded at least $1,300.

Of the 45 contestants this year, 23 have previous pageant experience: 19 through the Miss Mississippi pageant and four through the Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen pageant. Of the 19 returning, three placed in the Top 10 in 2007 and three placed in the Top 10 the year before.

via  45 contestants arriving today for Miss Mississippi 2008 week.    From the Vicksburg Post.