Scoops News Reports from the World of Pageantry
IN MEMORY
Miss America 1952 Colleen Kay Hutchins passed away at the age of 83 in Newport Beach, California. Her son, New Jersey Nets General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe, said that Colleen had been ill for six months, but did not disclose the specific details of her illness. Colleen had four children and was married to Ernest Vandeweghe, a former guard for the New York Knicks, as well as a physician in the U.S. Air Force. Colleen attended Brigham Young University, where she was named Homecoming Queen in 1947. Five years later, she became an American icon, as she was crowned Miss America. She was also a Broadway actress. ;
ENGAGEMENT
Miss America 2009 Katie Stam was in for a surprise as her soon-to-be fiancé Brian Irk proposed to her during the Miss America Pageant week in Las Vegas. Brian proposed during the Miss America’s Evening of Dreams fundraising gala. Congratulations to Katie and Brian! ;
PAGEANTRY & PROMTIME FASHION SHOWCASE
Polina Piskova of Vancouver, Canada is the latest iPOP! selection for the Pageantry & Prom Time magazine fashion photo-shoot. Polina follows in the footsteps of first ever iPOP! Pageantry magazine photo-shoot award winner and Spring 2010 Pageantry cover model Brooke Grebe. The Pageantry & PromTime magazine’s Fashion Showcase is the world’s largest on location fashion photo-shoot for social occassion gowns. Polina attended John Robert Powers Vancouver. ;
IN MEMORY
Bonnie Henderson of Forest Lake, Minnesota, very unexpectedly passed away of an aneurysm in August. A devoted mother, wife, pageant director, and titleholder, Bonnie was dedicated to the advancement of pageants and scholarship competitions. She was a former state director of the Miss Wisconsin Junior America state pageants, as well as a state director for the Miss Teen All-American pageant.
A Miss America certified judge and a Pageantry subscriber for 21 years, she won the Wisconsin’s 60’s Beauties of America state title and went on to be crowned the Beauties of America 60’s division national queen. Bonnie was voted 1961 Homecoming Queen of Stoughton High School in Wisconsin, which is how she met her husband of 45 years, Rich Henderson. She was a fervent supporter of her daughter, Holly Ernst, Mrs. Minnesota 2006 and Mrs. Minnesota International 2003. ;
MISS AMERICA’S OUTSTANDING TEEN
Miss America’s Outstanding Teen has announced that Nicole Melchiorre will be joining the organization as the new Communications Director. Nicole brings with her more than 10 years of marketing and public relations experience from a variety of different areas. Nicole will oversee and manage the external communications plan as it relates to publicity, media awareness and event sponsor-ships of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, Inc. (MAOT). She will also work with the executive team to assist in the growth of the scholarship program and its fundraising efforts. ;
ATLANTA APPAREL MART
Preparation for Miss America took the lovely and talented Caressa Cameron, Miss Virginia 2009, to the August Market at the Atlanta Apparel Mart. Accompanied by Miss Virginia Pageant executive director Harlen Gudger, his wife Vickie, and Tom and Ethel Smawley from The Encounter, the wardrobe sponsor for Miss Virginia MAO, the energetic Ms. Cameron worked with her team and the designers within their showrooms. Style of gown, color and fabric became the discussion of the day with designers.
All work was set aside, however, as Caressa sang and wowed the crowd in Atlanta much the same as she thrilled the audience from the Miss America stage in Las Vegas.
At the end of this whirlwind day, Caressa Cameron had made the selection that would become the famous yellow gown at Miss America 2010 [see the story on page 34] . ;
SMALL WORLD: Preparing for Miss America, Caressa Cameron Miss Virginia 2009, shared a fun moment with Tom & Ethel Smawley at the Atlanta Apparel Mart in August 2009.
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