Myers crowned Miss Alabama at state NAM pageant
Published 2:13 pm Thursday, June 6, 2024
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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor
Chilton County’s Blakely Myers captured the Miss Alabama crown at the National American Miss (NAM) State Tournament Pageant in Montgomery from May 24-26. The former Chilton County Wee Miss Relay for Life Queen won the state title in the Princess division for girls ages four to six.
Now, the rising first grader at Jemison Elementary School will travel to Orlando, Florida the week of Thanksgiving and represent the State of Alabama for the NAM National Pageant.
“I liked staying in the hotel and I made lots of new friends,” Blakely Myers said about her experience in Montgomery. “I like doing pageants because I can play with the new friends I make.”
Blakely Myers and her mother, Ashley, checked in for the pageant the first day and a kick-off party was held for the contestants. Blakely was also able to participate in a beginner’s class for first-time competitors so they could get a feel of what to expect on the NAM stage.
The second day was filled with optional competitions for the competitors such as an art contest, photogenic, runway and more. Blakely competed in several of the optional competitions and was named the Photogenic winner, the Art Contest winner and the Runway winner. She also won the Heart of Service Award based on community service achievements she has had. Sunny Mays, Organizer of the Chilton County Relay for Life, wrote Blakely a letter of recommendation for NAM and included all of the community service she did while serving as a Relay for Life queen in 2023, which bolstered her to win the Heart of Service Award.
“With the county pageants, they do so much community service and I think that sets a child up for success in their future,” Ashley Myers said. “Seeing things that serve the community and them seeing that is important to help the businesses and surrounding citizens.”
Other awards Blakely won in the optional competitions included the Miss Spirit Award that was chosen by choreographers of the pageant that chose which competitors had the most positive attitudes, first runner-up in the Top Model, first runner-up in Best Resume and first runner-up in Miss Personality. The Miss Personality Award was voted on by the other competitors. The second day concluded with the evening wear walk and contestants were escorted by their fathers or a loved one.
The final day was the awards ceremony and announcement of the winners when Blakley heard her name called as Miss Alabama in the Princess division.
Blakely has been doing pageants since she was four years old when Ashley and the Myers family decided she should try them to combat an early bout of shyness in her. Blakely put herself out there and tried it out. Since then, she has made countless new friends and seen great success in just two years of doing her newly found passion.
“From then, she just loved it because for her it was just a fun day hanging out with other girls her age,” Ashley Myers said.
Blakely and the Myers family plan to visit Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando during their trip to Florida for the week-long national pageant from Nov. 22-29.