Going-away reception honors Miss New Albany Hospitality before state competition

Miss New Albany Hospitality Becca Childers will represent the community in the state competition in Hattiesburg July 11-17.

On Saturday, sponsors gave her a going-away reception at the Magnolia Civic Center. She also modeled the gowns she will wear in competition and performed the brief hospitality speech she will use. The reception was also partly because, due to quick sales of limited state competition tickets, some family and friends may not be able to attend the pageant in person.

The pageant events will be available live and later on Youtube, however, according to New Albany pageant director Chris Pugh.

Childers won the New Albany title in February, chosen from among 20 contestants.

Macie Phyfer was chosen as Miss Teen New Albany.

Preliminary judging in state competition will include a panel interview, one-on-one interview and Mississippi speech competition. The on-stage competition will include the community commercial competition, evening gown competition and interview competition.

Contestants must do their own hair and makeup at the State Competition. No one will be allowed in the accommodations or backstage prior to competition.

Contestants must also sell at least four full pages of advertising in the Mississippi Miss Hospitality program book.

Other than top ten, other awards include: Top 3 Speech, Top Ad Sales, Spirit of Miss Hospitality, Most Photogenic, and Social Media Challenge. Total scholarships, awards, and prizes equal more than $100,000. 

The local pageant is scholarship-based as well.

The Miss Teen New Albany pageant is for young women ages 13 through 17. Judging is based on evening gown appearance and then active wear. As winner, Macie Phyfer received a $500 scholarship.

The Miss New Albany pageant is for women ages 18 through 24. Judging is on a casual get-to-know-you five-minute interview with judges, a 20-second speech on stage promoting New Albany and Union County, and then evening gown.

Miss New Albany Becca Childers received a $1,500 scholarship. First runner-up Erica Gregory received a $750 scholarship.

All the scholarships must be used at Mississippi schools and contestants must live in New Albany or Union County, or if in college have a primary or parents’ address in Union County.

The pageant is sponsored by the New Albany Main Street Association and office of Community Development.

Ivy Jordan won the title this past year, the first time the city pageant had been held in 30 years.

She was able to serve the community despite the pandemic and was in the top 10 entrants in the state competition.

Scholarship donors were BNA Bank, Van-Atkins, Pam Brown State Farm and Magnolia Soap and Bath.