ROANOKE RAPIDS – Sixteen

area high school senior young women are participants in the 2004 Roanoke Valley Junior Miss Scholarship Program to be held Saturday, August 23, 7:00 PM at the Roanoke Rapids High School Auditorium.

Celebrating its 15th year, the Roanoke Valley Junior Miss Scholarship Program is a preliminary to America’s Junior Miss Scholarship Awards Program, the oldest and largest nationwide scholarship program for high school senior women.

Conducted on local, state and national levels, it allows outstanding young women to compete for millions of dollars available in scholarships to further their education.

Last year more than 30,000 young women competed for more than $5 million in scholarships across the country.

Each year, 200 colleges and universities offer scholarships and grants to winners of local and state programs, as well as the national program.

In the program’s previous 14

years,

nearly $84,000 in college scholarships have been awarded to 168 young ladies from Halifax, Northampton and Warren counties. This has largely been possible through the donations made by this area’s businesses, professionals and individuals.

This program has received no grant funding, nor any other funding from sources outside the Roanoke Valley. The program also boasts of having more than 40 volunteers who give of their time on a year round basis.

Participants in this year’s program include: Sarah Dickens, Roanoke Valley’s Junior Miss for 2003 will be featured, along with the Little Buddie of each contestant, the Little Sister of each contestant, the Myrick School of Dance Competition Clogging Team and visiting Junior Miss contestants from around the state.

This year’s participants will share scholarships made available by Branch Bank and Trust, International Paper, Roanoke Valley Savings Bank, Roanoke Valley American Legion Post 514, SPRINT, Southern Corrosion, Piedmont Coca Cola, Coastal Lumber, Halifax Linen, Roland Holms and Robert and Doris Mack.

From the group one young woman will be chosen to represent the group in the North Carolina Junior Miss Program, sponsored by the Greensboro Jaycees,

to be held in Greensboro in February. The America’s Junior Miss Program will be held in Mobile, Alabama in June.

Each participant is evaluated the same at all levels on scholastic achievement (judged by a panel of judges from Admissions Offices of various colleges and universities), physical fitness (consisting of an aerobic/dance routine), poise, talent and personal interview with a panel of judges which is made up of individuals who have been certified by the state and national programs and who reside in other areas of North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and Tennesee.

The group began its work with the program in September of 2002. They have participated in several community service projects, including preparing Santa bags for the Christmas Angel program, giving &uot;Be Your Best Self&uot; presentations to the various units of Boys and Girls Clubs of Halifax County, and assisting the Chamber of Commerce with Ducky Derby.

Tickets for the program are $10.00 in advance and are available by contacting one of the participants, a &uot;Little Buddie&uot;, a &uot;Little Sister&uot; or at C&W’s Candy and Gifts Plus Florist in Roanoke Rapids.