Pageant paper drive
Southern Illinois pageant winners will visit Anna on Saturday as part of "Miss America Serves."
Across the country, hundreds of Miss America contestants on the local, state, and national levels, will be volunteering in their communities.
"They encourage service in general," Miss Southern Illinois Janna Harner said.
Miss Illinois 2015 Crystal Davis will be participating in a run in Springfield, while the winners of Miss Southern Illinois 2016 will be heading to Anna.
Miss Southern Illinois Janna Harner, Miss Heartland Abigail Brown, Miss Southern Illinois Outstanding Teen Christine Bryant, and the three Miss Southern Illinois Princesses; Ryan Wildermuth, Kyla Militoni, and Madelyn Holmes will be visiting the Anna Wal-Mart to hold "That's How We Roll," a paper goods drive.
According to pageant director Judy Sims, the pageant winners will be collecting paper towels, toilet paper, or paper napkins , and will be donating the collected goods to the Baptist Children's Home and Family Services in in Carmi.
The BCHFS provides aid to children who had been abused, abandoned or neglected, and also provide alternatives to abortion to expecting mothers.
Harner said that the BCHFS was chosen because as a private organization, they often lack "bare essentials."
"Just a simple paper goods drive…that makes a world of difference for them," Harner said.
The donation drive will be held from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Those who donate, will receive a complimentary refreshment.
Miss America Serves is a yearly day of service for all winners in that year's Miss America Pageant. In 2016, proceeds raised will go towards numerous organizations, including Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Members of the public can also participate in Miss America Serves by visiting www.helpmakemiracles.org to make a donation or form a volunteer team.
Incentives for participants include five $1,000 scholarships to the top five state organizations mentioned on Facebook and Twitter by using approved hashtags; the highest fundraising team at the local or state team will receive a $1,000 scholarship, and the highest fundraising individual will receive a $1,000 scholarship.