From The Tribune staff reports
SPRINGVILLE — Ms. Senior Alabama is asking women 60 and over to enter this year’s pageant.
The pageant is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 27, through Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Springville Camp and Conference Center.
Sara Jo Burks, with Ms. Senior Alabama, said the pageant is a wonderful opportunity for women to show that they are still a vital part of the community, the nation and the world.
“The whole thing is about empowering women and giving them a voice,” said Sara Jo Burks. “Senior citizens are usually considered the silent generation. But that’s not true. They have a lot of advice to offer. They have had a lot of experience and they are a wealth full of knowledge.”
The winner of the pageant will go to Ms. Senior World in November. The Ms. Senior Alabama organization will help the winner prepare for the national stage.
A Ms. Super Senior Alabama winner will also be crowned for the 80 and above category.
No pageant experience is necessary to enter and registration is $200, and that includes a crown, a sash, your room and food. There is an interview portion of the pageant, an active lifestyle wear event, fashion runway and an evening gown walk.
“We have made this competition to where you can just practice a little bit and show your personality to win those judges over,” Burks added.
Contestants are encouraged to ask for sponsorships. Organizers said the experience is more than a pageant.
“The women have such great fun, make lifelong friends, and our goal is to remind all women they have a purpose regardless of age,” said Kim Crawford-Meeks.
And Sara Jo Burks would know. She was crowned Ms. Senior Alabama 2017 and went onto win the 2018 Ms. Senior USA pageant. She was the first-ever senior pageant winner to be featured on the cover of a major magazine, Pageantry.