Before I tell you about my amazing week in Hoopeston, Illinois, I want to give you a little bit of background on the pageant. The National Sweetheart pageant was founded in 1941 and is held every year during Labor Day weekend in Hoopeston, Illinois. The first or second runner-up from each state pageant is invited to participate in the Miss National Sweetheart pageant, but not every state sends a contestant. The pageant is designed to encourage contestants to continue their goal towards becoming a state representative at the Miss America pageant and to provide a mock-Miss America experience. To date, five Sweetheart winners have gone on to win the Miss America title.This year, 34 states sent representatives to the pageant and I was honored to be able to represent Arkansas. I don't know if I can describe the incredible experience that I had during the week of Miss National Sweetheart, but I am going to try! There are two nights of preliminary competition and a final night (just like the state pageants). There is also a parade, which was one of the highlights of the week! However, the pageant is only a small part of the Sweetheart experience. The week was full of fun luncheons and dinners with different civic groups, tours of the local factories and farms, daily rehearsals, and lots of laughter. Every contestant stays with a host family and there is a group of women that volunteer to drive us around during the week of the pageant. My house had five girls (DC, Massachusetts, Vermont, Arkansas, and Illinois) and we had the BEST house mom, Mama Coon. She took such good care of us all week and I even got a few of her famous "sweetheart" recipes! I think my favorite part was spending time with all of the state representatives. These women are incredible, they are accomplished, and they are doing awesome things for the Miss America program. I am cheering each girl on as she competes in her state pageant this summer and hopefully we will all be reunited in Vegas! Regardless, I made several lifelong friends during the week and I feel blessed to have been able to be a part of this incredible experience. Here are a few of my favorite memories from the week:
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| Arrival at the Airport! |
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| Early Morning Breakfast |
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| Group D at the Canning Factory - looking good in our helmets! |
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| Rocking our totally awesome hair nets |
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| Touring one of the soy bean and corn farms |
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| Oh, you know, just hanging out in a GIANT tractor wheel! |
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| Playing in the corn fields |
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| Touring the PAM cooking spray factory! |
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| My car group and our awesome driver, Lisa |
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| Our drivers were so nice to constantly stop for "photo ops" |
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| We picked up some awesome cupcakes and lemonade from these sweet kids |
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| Professional Women's Club dinner - best food of the week! (check out the delicious buffet behind us) |
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| Stuffed to the brim on great food and lots of laughter |
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| We did a school assembly at the local elementary school I had the students call the Arkansas Hogs! |
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| At the parade with Papa Coon - Go Hog Wild! |
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| Miss Colorado and I showing off our shoes at the parade ***UPDATE: Hannah is the new Miss Colorado 2012*** |
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| Signing autographs at the Sweet Corn Festival |
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| Trying on our hog noses! |
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| Our House Group with Mama Coon - she took such good care of us all week long! |
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| Top Five at the National Sweetheart Pageant (Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri) |
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Miss Missouri and I waiting for the
big announcement!
***UPDATE: Tippe was crowned Miss Missouri 2012*** |
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| With my 2011 local director, Ned Metcalf |
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| With Kimmy, Miss Vermont, such a sweet friend! |
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