More information regarding the cancelation of the 2024 Miss Oglethorpe Pageant. The 2025 Miss Oglethorpe Pageant is scheduled for next March. (Lee Short/The Oglethorpe Echo)
The eighth annual Miss Oglethorpe Pageant, originally scheduled for March 16, has been canceled.
Organizer Joanne Wrenn said the cancellation was due to a lack of participation, likely due to March being a busy time of year for parents, along with the start of school spring sports.
All participants have been refunded their entry fees and deposits.
Wrenn said she intends to have two additional directors to help with the workload and organization of next year’s event. All pageant positions are filled by volunteers.
Wrenn said in order to make next year a success, she will need more volunteers and support from Oglethorpe County in the form of awareness and sponsorships.
Money from the pageant supports the Oglethorpe County School System through contestant registrations, ticket and program sales, advertisement sales and sponsorships.
The Miss Oglethorpe Pageant also supports the Crowning Star Foundation.
“If you have a girl that plays softball, that money goes straight to the softball team,” Wrenn said.
The pageant also gives a portion of proceeds to the REACH Georgia Scholarship Program, a needs-based mentoring program.
Wrenn said while her daughter and granddaughter often compete in high-stakes pageants, such as regional and state competitions, Miss Oglethorpe is community based and character centered.
“This is more of a make-you-feel-good pageant,” she said.