Miss Shelby County winners reflect on community service

The upcoming 2016 Miss Shelby County Pageant is a bittersweet time for former winners.

“I’m going to be really, really sad, but I know that the next Miss Shelby County Outstanding Teen is going to be wonderful and is going to have an amazing journey, and I couldn’t have had a better year,” said current Miss Shelby County Outstanding Teen Tiara Pennington, 16. 

Miss Shelby County Amanda Ford, 23, said she is excited to watch friends participate in this year’s pageant and avoid the usual nerves, but there are a few downsides as well.

“I’m not necessarily looking forward to [this year] because I’m going to have to give it up,” Ford said of her title. 

Ford and Pennington are both from Helena and spent the last year serving their community and promoting their platforms. Each pageant participant must choose a platform, and upon winning they help out the organization they choose.

“Each girl, they just pick one that’s dear to them,” pageant coordinator Pam Oliver said. “They do fundraisers or they just do appearances to help those who are doing fundraisers.”

This year’s platforms were important to both Ford and Pennington. Ford supported Relay for Life, an organization which she has volunteered with since high school. In 2012, her father was diagnosed with lung cancer. While he is cancer-free now, Ford said her dad’s cancer was one thing that fueled her increased involvement with Relay. 

“Over the years, it has progressed. It’s just a great organization,” she said.

Pennington selected Psoriasis Take Action Alabama as her platform in support of her mother and uncle, who have psoriatic arthritis.

“When I was younger, of course I didn’t really know the severity of my mother’s and my uncle’s disease,” Pennington said. “But as I got older and was thinking about participating in an Outstanding Teen program, I was able to learn more about psoriatic arthritis, and it has just been the best platform that I could have chosen.”

Because they are both from the same area, Ford said they have been able to work together in the community.

“One of my favorite things this year is we’ve gotten to know the Helena mayor Mark Hall really well,” Ford said. “We got to visit his office a few times and share what we really wanted to help do in the community.”

The ability to work with their platform and in the community is one of the best opportunities for the Miss Shelby County winners, Oliver said. This experience can help them in school, college or with future jobs.

“It’s just so rewarding to me to watch the girls grow over the year while they hold their title,” Oliver said. “It’s fun to watch them grow in everything. It’s such a good experience for them in experience of jobs, as well.”

Winners in the Miss Shelby County Pageant go on to participate in the Miss Alabama and Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen Pageants. Ford said her experience with Miss Shelby County helped improve her confidence during the Miss Alabama interview. Because Miss Shelby County follows Miss America and Miss Alabama requirements, participants are able to prepare for the larger pageants.

“[Participating] really helped prepare me because you have to go through the same steps and practice,” Ford said. 

Ford will participate in the Miss Alabama Pageant from June 3-6. Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen Pageant was held in March, where Pennington received first runner-up and was a talent and evening gown winner. Even though she did not win, Pennington said she loved the opportunities she had this year.

“I’ve had a really great experience getting to represent my area,” Pennington said. “Even if I never become Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen, just being Miss Shelby County Outstanding Teen is enough for me because it was one of the big journeys that I’ve always dreamed of, getting to represent my area.” 

The 2016 Miss Shelby County Pageant is July 17 at Shelby County High School. Contestants between 17 and 23 years old from Shelby, Chilton, Jefferson, Talladega, Bibb, Coosa and St. Clair counties are eligible to participate. The same counties apply for the Outstanding Teen portion, for girls between 12 and 17 years old. Applications must be submitted by July 6.