MILTON — For the eighth year in a row, Milton High School presented the Little Miss MHS Pageant in the school’s auditorium, featuring girls from multiple age groups.
Each year, the pageant comes together under Director Rita Gunter and Assistant Director Meredith Powers to not only provide a fun environment for the young girls to enjoy themselves and make new friends, but to raise funds for MHS’s Project Graduation, the main purpose.
Project Graduation is an alcohol and drug-free, all-night graduation celebration for MHS seniors.
“The mission of Project Graduation is to save lives by providing a safe and sober graduation night celebration,” Powers said. “This pageant is the largest fundraiser for Milton High School’s Project Graduation event.”
The event began with the presentation of the colors by MHS’s ROTC and singing of the Nation Anthem by Linda Hardy. Alexandra Timmons, assistant principal at East Milton Elementary School, was the master of ceremonies for the pageant.
Judges for the event were Cassie K. Reed, local attorney; Kim Rutledge, owner of Milton’s Fine Things Gifts and Accessories; Melissa Stuckey, executive director of the Early Learning Coalition of Santa Rosa County; and Laurie McCrory, owner and instructor at Dance Academy of Santa Rosa.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Annual pageant raises funds for Project Graduation