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Participants have been practicing all week to bring “The Greatest Show” 2019 Distinguished Young Women of Chilton County scholarship program to the Chilton County High School auditorium on July 14, beginning at 6 p.m.

Admission is $5.

“[There are] 65 girls participating, whether they’re Divas (first through sixth graders) Little Sisters (ninth and 10th graders) or actually the participants that are competing for the scholarship money,” co-chairperson Kay Clark of DYW of Chilton County said.

Cara Yeargan Cooner, the 2004 Junior Miss, will emcee the event.

According to DYW of Chilton County chairperson Leslee Deavers, the scholarship program was called Junior Miss until 2010 when it changed to Distinguished Young Woman in order to better “distinguish” the program from beauty pageantry.

“There is nothing to do with beauty,” Clark said. “The judges are looking for your all-around, girl-next-door — you’re intelligent, you know how to express yourself, you’re fit. Beauty is not in there at all.”

DYW participants are judged 25 percent on both scholastic and interview, 20 percent on talent and 15 percent on both fitness and self-expression.

Clark said the winner of the 2019 DYW of Chilton County title will advance to compete at the state level in January 2019.

For more information, visit the Distinguished Young Women of Chilton County Facebook page.