11 competing in Miss Tri-Cities competition Saturday
Eleven young women will demonstrate their poise, style, grace and dedication to service as they strive to be named the next Miss Tri-Cities.
The winner will walk away with $11,000 in cash and scholarships.
The Miss Tri-Cities and Miss Tri-Cities Outstanding Teen pageants start at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Art Fuller Auditorium in Kennewick. Tickets are available for $20 at brownpapertickets.com until Friday and for $25 at the door.
The event stars the outgoing Miss Tri-Cities, Tayler Plunkett, and Miss Tri-Cities Outstanding Teen, Abby Faulk. The emcees will be Miss Texas 2009 Kristen Blair Guerrero and KNDU-TV news anchor Glenn Cassie.
Along with the Miss Tri-Cities contestants, four girls are competing to be named Miss Tri-Cities Outstanding Teen.
To earn the title, contestants need to complete a private interview, a talent competition, a physical fitness competition, a poise and personality competition and answer an onstage question.
Each also has a platform they promised to work on if they win, including helping people suffering from anxiety, increasing volunteerism and advocating for music and arts in schools.
A total of $35,000 in scholarship money will be distributed to the contestants. More than $300,000 in scholarships have been awarded during the past 18 years.
The program is responsible for sending dozens of women to college during its 57-year history, including educators, performers and at least one Washington State Patrol trooper.
“It gives them the skills to be successful,” said Dot Stewart, the program’s executive director.
Each of the winners will go on to compete in the state competitions and have a chance to represent Washington at the Miss America pageant.
The scholarship program is sponsored by the Tri-City Water Follies Association. Stewart said it serves as the official kickoff to the event.
For more information about the Miss Tri-Cities Scholarship Program, visit misstricities.org or call Stewart at 509-539-3252.
Cameron Probert: 509-582-1402, @cameroncprobert
This story was originally published July 20, 2017 at 5:25 PM with the headline "11 competing in Miss Tri-Cities competition Saturday."