The Miss Food City Pageant is slated for Saturday, October 11th at 7:00 p.m.  Downtown Bristol’s Paramount Center for the Arts will again serve as the venue for the gala event. 

The winner of the pageant will represent Food City during its sponsorship of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Food City 500 and the Nationwide Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway and other race related activities.  She will also represent Food City at various other company related functions throughout 2015.  Without a doubt, Miss Food City has become one of the most sought after titles for young ladies throughout the region. Miss Food City will receive $1,000 cash, $1,000 scholarship provided by Rave Hair Styling Product, $500 in Food City Gift Cards donated by Johnson & Johnson and a Princess for A Day package provided by Mane Street Day Spa & Salon.

Tickets are $8.00, with children 5 & under and veterans (identification required) admitted FREE of charge and will be available the night of the pageant.  A number of exciting door prizes will be awarded throughout the evening, including two tickets to the 2015 Food City 500, tickets to Ripley’s Attractions, Lumberjack Feud, Wonderworks, Titanic, Dixie Stampede, Food City Gift Cards and four two night stays at Deer Ridge Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

This year’s pageant features a patriotic theme and will include a special guest appearance by Medal of Honor Recipient, Ronald E. Rosser.  The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.  A Corporal  in the U.S. Army  during the Korean War, Rosser charged the enemy, destroyed one position, gained the top of a hill, killed two enemy soldiers, then attacked down a trench, killing five more. He hurled a grenade into a bunker and shot two others as they emerged. His ammunition depleted, he returned through fire, obtaining more ammunition and grenades, and recharged the hill, calling on others to follow, attacking two more bunkers. He repeated his return and attack, ultimately single-handedly killing at least 13 enemy soldiers. Despite being wounded, he helped evacuate the more seriously wounded.  Rosser just recently received a second Medal of Honor from Korea, making him the only person in history to ever receive a Medal of Honor from two countries. 

Reggie Neel of WXBQ 96.9 FM 24 Carrot Country will serve as Master of Ceremonies.  The pageant will be directed by the ladies of the Twin City Woman’s Club, with event proceeds benefitting their sponsored projects and charities.

About the Miss Food City Pageant
The first pageant was held in the Bristol Mall in 1992.  Former winners include Janet Barton - 1992 & 1993, Meredith Blankenship – 1994, Tracy Wilson – 1995, April Elswick – 1996, Lisa Tollett – 1997, Christin Wilson – 1998, Erica Hembree – 1999, Amanda Greene – 2000, Misty Horn – 2001, Ronna Compton – 2002, April Owens – 2003, Kimberly Coen – 2004, Megan Ashe – 2005, Mally Gent – 2006, Britney Hagy – 2007, Jennifer Whittington – 2008, Lindsey Blevins – 2009, Melissa O’Neal – 2010, Elizabeth Robinette – 2011, Ginny Cole – 2012, Alex Honeycutt – 2013, Kayla Neikirk - 2014.

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. (Food City’s parent company) operates 106 retail food outlets throughout the tri-state regions of Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.