The 17th annual Miss Wallace State Pageant will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Student Center Theater at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville. Reigning Miss Alabama Melinda Toole and Miss Wallace State 2006 Ashlee Maddox will serve as Mistresses of Ceremonies and provide entertainment for the ceremony.

Eleven contestants will compete in the Miss Wallace State Pageant for the opportunity to advance to the Miss Alabama 2007 competition in April.

Contestants include Jessi Anders of Cullman, Desiree Baird of Gardendale, Kimberly Ellis of Locust Fork, Whitney Hayes of Hartselle, Kerah Hyatt of Cullman, Rachel Jones of Spanish Fort, Ashley Kraft of Vinemont, Darenda Mayfield of Holly Pond, Brooke Poe of Birmingham, and Brittany Romano of Jasper and Cory Ann Turner of Huntsville.

Miss Wallace State will receive a one-year tuition scholarship to Wallace State and a cash scholarship of $300. Each contestant in the pageant will also receive a cash scholarship regardless of placement.

The competition begins with a 10-minute private interview (25 percent) with the judges and continues on stage with swimsuit (15 percent), talent (35 percent), evening wear (20 percent) and on-stage questions (5 percent). Each young woman selects an issue or program to promote during her year of service.

The Miss Alabama Pageant consistently ranks in the top 10 among state pageants in the Miss America System for the scholarships awarded to participants, totaling more than $100,000 in cash scholarships and more than $5 million in in-kind scholarships to Alabama’s colleges and universities. The Miss America Pageant is the largest provider of scholarships to young women in the world. Each year, more than $31 million is awarded to young women on the local, state and national level.

Local directors for Miss Wallace State are Suzanne Harbin and Rob Metcalf.

Admission to the pageant is $8 and program books are $2. Tickets will be sold at the door. For more information call (256) 352-8144 or (256) 352-8250.