| [Image: Miss Vernon 4-H] |
| [Image: Miss Vernon 4-H] |
| [Image: Miss Vernon 4-H] |
The Annual Miss Vernon 4-H Pageant was held March 21, 2009, with more than 50 contestants from around the parish vying for the opportunity to become the next Miss Vernon 4-H and to serve as an ambassador for the 4-H Program.
With the title of Miss Vernon 4-H Elementary, Junior and Senior not only do the girls get to ride in the parades but they are also called upon to help present awards, record PSAs to promote 4-H for National 4-H Week or any special activity that may be going on or speak at civic group meetings again to promote 4-H. This event was held in the Leesville High auditorium. The sponsors for this event include M. Gene Haymon, State Farm Insurance, as the sponsor of each Division’s People’s Choice Award: sponsoring the Elementary (Fourth-Sixth Grades) Division were Belinda Pridgen and Meredith Durrett of BeeBee’s Beauty Shop; Junior (Seventh-Eighty Grades) were Randall and Jessica Haymon of Double H Photography; and sponsoring the Senior Division was J.C’s Formal Wear of DeRidder.
Contestants not only had to walk across the stage in front of hundreds of family members and 4-H supporters but were also judged on interview skills. All of the funds raised are used for 4-H teen leader events such as leadership trainings and service learning projects like March of Dimes, Cystic Fibrosis and the aluminum tab collection for Ronald McDonald House.
Special thanks go to all the individual sponsors for each contestant and Ruby’s Leesville Florist for the judges gifts and the stage decorations, Andy Sherman for running the sound, Leesville High for allowing the use of the school and auditorium, Cryer’s Sports for the awesome trophies, Mrs Busby and the GATE’s Program for the banners and monogramming, Catfish Junction for the judges meals, and all of the background help! Also, a special thanks to Dave Johnson and Danielle Tilley, 2006 Miss Vernon 4-H, who provided the crowd with entertainment.