You are invited to spend a magical evening at the Crowns & Gowns Ball, honoring the 70th anniversary of the crowning of Minnesota's first Miss America, BeBe Shopp in 1948. The event will be held at the Radisson Blu at the Mall of America, on Friday, June 15, 2018, on the eve of the crowning of Miss Minnesota 2018!
 
Sister to Sister, Miss Minnesota Alumnae, is honored to welcome Cara Mund, Miss America 2018. Also in attendance will be Miss Minnesota 2017, Brianna Drevlow; Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2017, Emily Schumacher; candidates competing for Miss Minnesota 2018 and Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2018; former Miss Minnesotas; and visiting former Miss Americas. Guests will also enjoy the classic sounds of our 40-piece Big Band Orchestra under the direction of Tom Morris.

This will be an exciting evening of pageantry, music, memories, gowns, and crowns fit for a queen! Social hour begins at 6PM with dinner, program, music and dancing to follow.
 
This event is expected to sell out, so reserve your tickets today!

Miss America 
​Atlantic City, NJ (September 6, 2017) – On Wednesday, August 31st, the 2018 Miss America Contestants gathered in front of Historic Boardwalk Hall to celebrate the Miss America Competition’s 97th Anniversary. The Miss America Organization is proud to announce the continuation of AtlantiCare, a member of Geisinger, as an Official Sponsor of the annual Miss America Arrival Ceremony for its fifth consecutive year.

Welcoming the contestants to Atlantic City included MAO partners, sponsors, and government dignitaries, including: The Hon. Don Guardian, Mayor of Atlantic City; Mr. Chris Howard, Executive Director, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority; Dr. Marilouise Venditti, MD, Chief Medical Officer, AtlantiCare; Sam Haskell, III, Executive Chairman & CEO, Miss America Organization; Lynn H. Weidner, Chairman of the Board, Miss America Organization; and Josh Randle, President & COO, Miss America Organization.

After each of the 51 contestants took the stage to make their introductions, the Miss America Foundation announced the finalists for the Jean Bartel Quality of Life Scholarship Award, the STEM Scholarship Award, and the Women in Business Scholarship Award on stage.

The 2018 Jean Bartel Quality of Life Award was introduced in 1988 to recognize contestants who excel in their commitment to community service. The winner of the Quality of Life Award will receive a $6,000 scholarship, the first runner-up will receive a $4,000 scholarship, and the second runner-up will receive a $2,000 scholarship — a total of $12,000. The Quality of Life Awards are awarded and funded by The Miss America Foundation, Inc.

The finalists for the 2018 Quality of Life Awards are:

• Miss Alabama Jessica Procter
• Miss District of Columbia Briana Kinsey
• Miss Kansas Krystian Fish
• Miss Minnesota Brianna Drevlow
• Miss Mississippi Anne Elizabeth Buys
• Miss North Dakota Cara Mund
• Miss South Carolina Suzi Roberts

​The 2018 STEM Scholarship finalists were also announced on stage. The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) scholarships will empower more women to pursue careers in STEM-related fields to lead successful lives. The three recipients of the STEM scholarships will each receive $5,000 each — a total of $15,000. The STEM scholarships are awarded and funded by The Miss America Foundation, Inc.

​About The Miss America Organization
The Miss America Organization, a 501(c) 4 non-profit corporation, awards millions of dollars in annual college scholarship assistance making it the largest scholarship program for women in the United States. MAO is comprised of 51 organizations, including all 50 states and the District of Columbia. MAO contestants contribute over 500,000 hours of community service annually and have raised over $16 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals since 2007.

Just click the button below!
​Make a donation and help us reach our goal of $5,000 for Children's Miracle Network!

This letter originally appeared in the Minnesota Star Tribune. To view the full article, click here. 

A week ago Sunday, I was not crowned Miss America. As it turns out, however, I received an award that I consider to be an honor personally, and maybe it will turn out to mean something to you, my Minnesota family, as well. I’m talking about the Miss Congeniality award. The one that is not televised, or given much hoopla, but is respected enough by the Miss America Organization to be accompanied by a $2,000 scholarship.

Don’t get me wrong. I know Miss Congeniality has a reputation. Kind of a bad rap, really, as the prize that goes to the “nice” girl — the one who has no chance of winning, and as such, is pretty much OK with everyone else. I think kindness is mistakenly seen as weakness, something that lacks pluck and ambition.

But kindness matters. Kindness matters because it is the one thing that brings us closer together as humans. It’s a choice we make in response to the needs of others, and also in response to the knowledge in ourselves that we need kindness, too. We seek connection, experience and community.

Kindness is not about weakness. It’s about strength. Kindness means acknowledging that difficult differences exist — in opinion, in race, in religion, in experience, in culture — and being able to see, as Maya Angelou so beautifully stated, that we are more alike than we are unalike. To act with kindness says “I see you as a part of my tribe. I see your need. I want to help” and that’s hard sometimes. But the hardest things are also the most fulfilling.

We live in a crazy, unpredictable world. These days more than ever, we have the opportunity to close off into our all-too-busy personal lives, to feel overwhelmed by the scope of our differences. It’s easy to look away, to look down at our phones, to ignore the call inside each of us because we are don’t know how to begin.

I am thankful to the Miss America Organization and to the 52 women whose lives touched mine. I am proud to be Miss Congeniality. I hope that we all can strive to be that person who responds to the world with an open gesture of kindness. It’s as simple as a smile, and the opportunities are endless.
​
Let’s begin here.
​
Madeline Van Ert

Atlantic City, NJ (June 27, 2016) -  The Miss America Organization is pleased to announce this year's exciting plans for the famous Miss America "Show Us your Shoes" Parade in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Taking place rain or shine on Saturday, September 10th, 2016, the parade will feature over one hundred parade elements with more than 5,000 participants, including the 2017 Miss America Contestants who will show off their elaborate shoe designs!
This year, the parade will be led by a special tribute honoring the fallen of September 11, 2001, as this year marks the 15th Anniversary of the September morning when thousands lost their lives at the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and Flight 93.

The parade will step off at 5:00 PM from New Jersey Avenue on the Boardwalk, travel towards the famous Boardwalk Hall, and end at Albany Avenue. The two-mile route allows for ample viewing space for you and your family to take part in this historic tradition.

Tickets are on sale now for reserved seating in the Kennedy Plaza area in front of Boardwalk Hall. Prime and regular reserved seating is available. Don't miss the heart of the action in Kennedy Plaza, reserve your seats today!

There is also an opportunity to rent a rolling chair on the Boardwalk for your viewing pleasure. If you do not wish to purchase seats and do not wish to stand, you will be responsible for bringing your own seating to the designated areas along the parade route.

We hope you will join us for this exciting event before our 52 state titleholders take the stage at Boardwalk Hall on Sunday, September 11th, 2016, to compete for the title of Miss America 2017 live on ABC!